Author(s): Evan (N/A)
Acoustic
Director: John Carney
Written By: Matt Greenhalgh
Cast
Anthony Raneri – himself
Patrick Wilson - Jack O’Shea
James Franco – John “Beatz” Holohan
Alaistair Foley - Nick Ghanbarian
Maggie Gyllenhaal – Samantha
Tagline: “An angel got his wings and we'll hold our heads up, Knowing that he’s fine.”
Synopsis: Bayside was on tour. Their second album had just been incredibly well received, and all four of the band members felt hope for the first time in what felt like forever. Could anything possibly go wrong? On October 31st, 2005 Bayside’s van hit a patch of ice and flipped over. Anthony tried to open his eyes, but he couldn’t. All he saw was shattered glass spread out across the moonlit road. He then passed out to the sound of a single drum, rolling. When he opened his eyes he was in a hospital. A women came in. He didn’t recognize her. She sat down and took his bandaged hand. She told him that John had died, and that Nick had severely injured his back. She may have said she was sorry but Anthony didn’t hear. The next few days went by as if somebody was holding down the fast forward button. Before he knew it, Anthony was standing in front of a crowd of reporters. He spoke what he felt:
“The worst day of my life is over. It lasted 72 hours, but it's over. I know now that everyday for the rest of my life will be a piece of cake to wake up to, I'm just glad that I get to wake up to them. This week and the rest of my life are not going to be a mourning of a lost life, but a celebration of a wonderful one. He will live forever in all of our hearts and in the music he created so passionately.”
Anthony announced that him and Jack would continue their planned tour, for their fans, but would be playing an all-acoustic set. Both of them only sang and played guitars. On November 16th Anthony and Jack flew down to St.Petersberg Florida, to join up with their tour. They played every night as they traveled west, coping with their grief, and feeding off the support of their fans.
Nick lay in his bed at the hospital and thought about that fateful night. His girlfriend Samantha came to visit him every day and often brought letters from Anthony and Jack, who were on the road, touring. They spoke about how much life the fans had, and about all the love they showed. Nick felt happy for the first time in weeks, and this made Samantha feel a little more hope in his survival. Samantha had almost been in the accident, but had stayed behind in LA for a job interview. She could hardly believe she was still alive, that she had escaped death or injury so easily. She didn’t think it was right. Why did she deserve to live and John didn’t?
Anthony began to write songs about John, and about life, and how life could suddenly be taken away from the most deserving of people. Anthony and John were best friends. He still had waves of sadness when he realized he would never physically see him again. All any of them ever wanted to do was play music and make their band into something that people would know and love. That hasn't changed and they won’t let it. You can’t change a thing with empty hearts. And Beatz wouldn't have had it any other way.
What the Press Would Say:
In his second feature, John Carney, the director of “Once”, dives right into the world of grief in this beautiful musical about the tragic Bayside van accident of 2005. With members of the actual band playing themselves, and James Franco respectfully fitting the mold for the terribly lost John Holohan, “Acoustic” has changed into something far more than a movie about loss. It has changed into a movie about life. Anthony Raneri plays the bands lead singer and rhythm guitarist. In his first film, and at his first bat at acting, Mr.Raneri knocks it out of the park. Because of the pain he went through, nobody could play the role the way he could. Showing raw emotion and true willpower, Mr. Raneri gives “Acoustic” a powerful emotional center. The screenplay by Matt Greenhalgh is brilliant in every way. It gives each character multiple feelings so that even minor characters are more than filler. Maggie Gyllenhaal also gives a great performance as the truly faithful girlfriend of Nick. She pulls at you heartstrings while she is onscreen, making music with her acting that is just as touching as the beautiful songs that exist throughout the film. Shot using a mix of camcorder and professional grade cameras, this film looks as spectacular as it sounds and feels. Shades of blues mixing in with the hopeful golds and yellows of the United States’ southwest fit the film perfectly. James Franco is also inspirational in his rather small role of the lost drummer, John. Patrick Wilson, who has singing experience, as he was nominated for a Tony award for Oklahoma, gives a spectacular performance. Playing one of the two main characters, Mr. Wilson gives a surprisingly withdrawn performance as the quiet, and less outwardly emotional companion. This film is a rare gem that is beautiful in its grit, showing life on the road… the road of life, that is.
FYC
Best Picture
Best Director – John Carney
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Actor - Anthony Raneri
Best Supporting Actress – Maggie Gyllenhaal
Best Supporting Actor – Patrick Wilson
Best Supporting Actor – James Franco
Best Supporting Actor – Alaistair Foley
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
AU H20
Author(s): Chris K. (AZ)
AU H2O
Directed by Peter Berg
Written by Aaron Sorkin
Produced by Miramax
Main Cast
Ed Harris as Barry Goldwater
Chris Cooper as Ronald Reagan
Vincent D’Onofrio as Karl Hess
Joshua Molina as John Grenier
John Goodman as Dean Burch
Laurence Fishburne as Thurgood Marshall
Tommy Lee Jones as President Lyndon B. Johnson
Tagline: “We were a nation divided and his film is just that”
Synopsis:
First Chapter- Convention part 1
Outrageous applause, Overwhelming jeers, Fear, Wonder, Racist, Revolutionist, and the new Republican nominee for President of the United States Barry Goldwater, a senator from Arizona champion of the conservatives. Karl Hess an activist who has been compared to communists, John Grenier a lawyer who is a rising star in the republican party, and Dean Burch Goldwater’s Arizonan on the staff have all joined together to bring a speech that will join together the Conservative base. This task is daunting because so many want Goldwater to win but at the same time a loss would be a victory. As things begin to unfold for them Ronald Reagan comes to them on screen as they begin to finish. His speech is so persuasive that even at the beginning they have to revamp the speech. As sweat pounds upon paper and pens fly across them you can see their growing anxiety. They only have twenty minutes to finish up a speech that will outshine Reagan’s and create a perception of their candidate that will appeal to all voters if a victory is going to be considered in November
Second Chapter- November 3
Election Day has arrived and in Arizona Barry Goldwater is waiting in line with voters ready to vote. As he speaks to the voters they get to witness first hand the reason he got this far. Early polling has him winning the deeply conservative south and this is welcomed with raucous applause but then the rest of the nation seems to be trending towards President Johnson instead of Senator Goldwater. As the he along with his staff console each other it is announced that Arizona voted for Barry and this lightens up the mood that has taken over all of them. With the major loss that he has been dealt as all candidates do he concedes and congratulates Johnson on his victory. Goldwater gives his thanks to all his supporters than leaves the national stage. When he gets off stage the last thing he says is to Ronald Reagan which he says to him “Go get ‘em”
Third Chapter- Intimidation and Mud Slinging
Many wonder the reasons why Barry Goldwater lost in that election it could go to many reasons. The First could have been when Thurgood Marshall met with Barry Goldwater after the vote for the Civil Rights Act which Goldwater voted against. As they talked about their opinions the anger Marshall had when he went in lessened as Goldwater’s argument for his vote made sense. He approved the overall effect of this piece of legislation it restricted personal freedoms on citizens. After he held a press conference where he portrayed the message that Goldwater wasn’t a racist the NAACP could not support him. The Second problem was the infamous video’s Johnson issued which were controversial and created Mud Slinging but never used this effectively as he did. The last was the “treatment” used by President Johnson used on people to pressure them into supporting his plans. In this case its Johnson versus Goldwater and it begins and ends with Johnson constantly attacking but never letting Goldwater have a thing to say. It showed how Goldwater was courteous and listened and Johnson as an attack dog usually assumed for the vice-presidency.
Fourth Chapter- Convention part 2
The speech is almost finished as lines are thrown in and they get to Mr. Goldwater who is optimistic after reading it. As they walk out Reagan walks by and you can see the praise Goldwater receives while they were shaking hands. As he starts his speech people in the audience are reacting with boo’s and applause. By the end it’s seemingly the roof will blow of its top. As he is shaking hands with the audience Dean Burch, Karl Hess, and John Grenier all approve that they have a shot come November if everything goes the way it should.
What the Press would say:
AU H2O is a film that relives the year of 1964 with the presidential election. It ended sadly for Barry Goldwater but created a new world and changed our political races forever. This film uses a cast of classic actors and lesser known character actors. IT starts and ends with two performances throughout the film. Ed Harris uses his acting credits (Pollock) to the fullest extent and made this biopic a great piece of work and has that believability some films have with portrayals of real people. He never lets up as it goes along and critics are in love with this performance and an Academy Award is not out of his eyes. The second performance is by Tommy Lee Jones (In the Valley of Elah) which emulates President Lyndon B. Johnson perfectly and does it with style. Making a role that is only in thirty minutes he comes out and shows us why we remember him so clearly. The next two parts were instrumental to the films success. The writing of Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men) uses less humor and more style than he has ever done. An Oscar has never been so deserving of him with his adaptation of Goldwater’s biography and keeps the realism films seem to lose in that transition. The final aspect is the direction by Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights) who creates that realism that biopic’s sometimes miss and he does it with style. He creates a set that allows these great actors flexibility but controls them from over doing it. This film shows the realism of this campaign through it’s hopeful beginnings to it’s destructive end and allows the reader a visual spectacle that will keep Goldwater’s image alive within people who are distant with that period of time that so defined us all in different ways.
He championed a brand of rugged individualism, and he never hesitated to speak his mind. He could be both colorful and profane, and he often said things he later wished he hadn't. "Barry, you speak too quick and too loud," former president Dwight D. Eisenhower once told him, and Mr. Goldwater acknowledged that Eisenhower was right, but it made a colorful personality that lives with us today reunited with this film so come Oscar time it should receive recognition in the following categories.
FYC
Best Picture
Best Director- Peter Berg
Best Actor- Ed Harris
Best Supporting Actor- Tommy Lee Jones
Best Adapted Screenplay- Aaron Sorkin
AU H2O
Directed by Peter Berg
Written by Aaron Sorkin
Produced by Miramax
Main Cast
Ed Harris as Barry Goldwater
Chris Cooper as Ronald Reagan
Vincent D’Onofrio as Karl Hess
Joshua Molina as John Grenier
John Goodman as Dean Burch
Laurence Fishburne as Thurgood Marshall
Tommy Lee Jones as President Lyndon B. Johnson
Tagline: “We were a nation divided and his film is just that”
Synopsis:
First Chapter- Convention part 1
Outrageous applause, Overwhelming jeers, Fear, Wonder, Racist, Revolutionist, and the new Republican nominee for President of the United States Barry Goldwater, a senator from Arizona champion of the conservatives. Karl Hess an activist who has been compared to communists, John Grenier a lawyer who is a rising star in the republican party, and Dean Burch Goldwater’s Arizonan on the staff have all joined together to bring a speech that will join together the Conservative base. This task is daunting because so many want Goldwater to win but at the same time a loss would be a victory. As things begin to unfold for them Ronald Reagan comes to them on screen as they begin to finish. His speech is so persuasive that even at the beginning they have to revamp the speech. As sweat pounds upon paper and pens fly across them you can see their growing anxiety. They only have twenty minutes to finish up a speech that will outshine Reagan’s and create a perception of their candidate that will appeal to all voters if a victory is going to be considered in November
Second Chapter- November 3
Election Day has arrived and in Arizona Barry Goldwater is waiting in line with voters ready to vote. As he speaks to the voters they get to witness first hand the reason he got this far. Early polling has him winning the deeply conservative south and this is welcomed with raucous applause but then the rest of the nation seems to be trending towards President Johnson instead of Senator Goldwater. As the he along with his staff console each other it is announced that Arizona voted for Barry and this lightens up the mood that has taken over all of them. With the major loss that he has been dealt as all candidates do he concedes and congratulates Johnson on his victory. Goldwater gives his thanks to all his supporters than leaves the national stage. When he gets off stage the last thing he says is to Ronald Reagan which he says to him “Go get ‘em”
Third Chapter- Intimidation and Mud Slinging
Many wonder the reasons why Barry Goldwater lost in that election it could go to many reasons. The First could have been when Thurgood Marshall met with Barry Goldwater after the vote for the Civil Rights Act which Goldwater voted against. As they talked about their opinions the anger Marshall had when he went in lessened as Goldwater’s argument for his vote made sense. He approved the overall effect of this piece of legislation it restricted personal freedoms on citizens. After he held a press conference where he portrayed the message that Goldwater wasn’t a racist the NAACP could not support him. The Second problem was the infamous video’s Johnson issued which were controversial and created Mud Slinging but never used this effectively as he did. The last was the “treatment” used by President Johnson used on people to pressure them into supporting his plans. In this case its Johnson versus Goldwater and it begins and ends with Johnson constantly attacking but never letting Goldwater have a thing to say. It showed how Goldwater was courteous and listened and Johnson as an attack dog usually assumed for the vice-presidency.
Fourth Chapter- Convention part 2
The speech is almost finished as lines are thrown in and they get to Mr. Goldwater who is optimistic after reading it. As they walk out Reagan walks by and you can see the praise Goldwater receives while they were shaking hands. As he starts his speech people in the audience are reacting with boo’s and applause. By the end it’s seemingly the roof will blow of its top. As he is shaking hands with the audience Dean Burch, Karl Hess, and John Grenier all approve that they have a shot come November if everything goes the way it should.
What the Press would say:
AU H2O is a film that relives the year of 1964 with the presidential election. It ended sadly for Barry Goldwater but created a new world and changed our political races forever. This film uses a cast of classic actors and lesser known character actors. IT starts and ends with two performances throughout the film. Ed Harris uses his acting credits (Pollock) to the fullest extent and made this biopic a great piece of work and has that believability some films have with portrayals of real people. He never lets up as it goes along and critics are in love with this performance and an Academy Award is not out of his eyes. The second performance is by Tommy Lee Jones (In the Valley of Elah) which emulates President Lyndon B. Johnson perfectly and does it with style. Making a role that is only in thirty minutes he comes out and shows us why we remember him so clearly. The next two parts were instrumental to the films success. The writing of Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men) uses less humor and more style than he has ever done. An Oscar has never been so deserving of him with his adaptation of Goldwater’s biography and keeps the realism films seem to lose in that transition. The final aspect is the direction by Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights) who creates that realism that biopic’s sometimes miss and he does it with style. He creates a set that allows these great actors flexibility but controls them from over doing it. This film shows the realism of this campaign through it’s hopeful beginnings to it’s destructive end and allows the reader a visual spectacle that will keep Goldwater’s image alive within people who are distant with that period of time that so defined us all in different ways.
He championed a brand of rugged individualism, and he never hesitated to speak his mind. He could be both colorful and profane, and he often said things he later wished he hadn't. "Barry, you speak too quick and too loud," former president Dwight D. Eisenhower once told him, and Mr. Goldwater acknowledged that Eisenhower was right, but it made a colorful personality that lives with us today reunited with this film so come Oscar time it should receive recognition in the following categories.
FYC
Best Picture
Best Director- Peter Berg
Best Actor- Ed Harris
Best Supporting Actor- Tommy Lee Jones
Best Adapted Screenplay- Aaron Sorkin
Break Before Bend
Author(s): D.W. Dillon (NV)
Break Before Bend
Directed by Philip Kaufman
Written by Kevin Jarre
Cinematography by Ken Kelsch
Edited by Freeman A. Davies
Music by Ry Cooder
Produced by Walter Hill
Principal Cast:
Jake Gyllenhaal as Darren Burke
Sarah Polley as Eloise Burke
Vincent D'Onofrio as Dr. Samuel Stefano
Esai Morales as Livan Castro
Tabu as Sanjana Raj
Tagline: "The truth can hurt."
Synopsis: They knew his troubled past. They knew his calm and collective demeanor was a mask that hid his nationalistic soul. For the CIA, Darren Burke (Gyllenhaal) was the perfect recruit. Under the tutelage of Dr. Samuel Stefano (D'Onofrio), he would learn the art of interrogation and much, much more. Dr. Stefano, a Vietnam veteran, was the victim of "water boarding" by his captors during the war; stripped nude and tied down, while gallons of dirty water splashed his face, followed by single slow drops of water blasting his forehead for hours causing excruciating discomfort both mentally and physically. Dr. Stefano knew the world of torture better than anyone else. Now a master interrogator, he was ahead of his time. Developing a new form of interrogation where he would manipulate the mind. By placing an electrode inside the brain, he could control whether the suspect would feel pain, pleasure, anger or fear. The program was terminated citing possible brain damage. When 9/11 hit, the gloves came off and Dr. Stefano had free reign. Through more research he would be able to manipulate the brain into telling only the truth.
Darren Burke had entered a world over his head. He had steered clear of Dr. Stefano's experimental methods. That is until his latest suspect, notorious Cuban drug dealer Livan Castro (Morales), who had withstood the grueling "Forced Standing" technique; enduring 12 hours in shackles that stood him upright with no room to bend, lay, or kneel to pray. The memory haunts Burke's dreams, hearing the screams in his nightmares of that arachnophobic drug dealer left in shackles, only now surrounded by tarantulas, at the suggestion and behest of Dr. Stefano. Angry and ashamed with himself, Burke no longer looked his wife or children in the eyes. He had changed and it was showing. His failed attempt at suicide, physically punishing his children with a belt, along with his rough sexual behavior in the bedroom frightened his wife, Eloise (Polley), to the point of tears and confusion. When Dr. Stefano asked Darren to perform his latest brain manipulation method on the wife of a suspected terrorist, Sanjana Raj (Tabu), he finds himself at wits end with his mentor. Her desperate plea for freedom would change his mind in the end. After the death of Sanjana Raj, under interrogation at the hands of Dr. Stefano, Darren Burke now knew what he had to do. His whistle-blowing will place a target on his back. The government will use all means necessary to keep him quiet, from damaging his credibility, to assigning Dr. Stefano a project to "change" Burke's mind. A battle of wits to the tolerance of pain will test not only Darren, but his mentor as well. They would attack each other’s past painful memories, from Dr. Stefano's Vietnam experience to Darren's painful memory of being kidnapped and molested as a child. The truth is horror, and the truth will be heard at the cost of someone's life.
What the Press Will Say? The movie opens with a monotone narration by Jake Gyllenhaal, describing the numerous forms of interrogation through torture, done throughout the history of man, accompanied by gruesome re-enactments, "...British soldiers in the 18th century loved the idea of "Pitchcapping"; pouring hot tar into a cone-shaped paper "cap", which was forced onto a bound suspect's head and then allowed to cool and cruelly torn off. In World War II, “Denailing” was the method of choice, only the captors liked to soak the fingers or toes first, causing even more pain...the Viet-Kong felt the need to castrate U.S. soldiers, while both sides found water boarding an effective way to gather intelligence."
His unhinged voice sounds like Vincent Price narrating a Stephen King novel for a Books-on-Tape. It's an introduction with such impact that perfectly shapes what is to come; disturbing, but horrifically intriguing. The horror he speaks of comes in the form of one man. Dr. Samuel Stefano, played by rogue actor Vincent D'Onofrio whose personal touches to each character's personality introduce a somewhat controlled chaotic figure. He's a master at the art of "information gathering" which his predecessor, Darren Burke (Jake Gyllenhaal) comes to define it more as "experimental torture". Stefano revels more in his experiments working, with complete disregard for the suspect. D'onofrio moves with precision but yet his actions are unpredictable as in the scene where he carefully removes a shorted-out electrode that has been placed in the brain of a suspect only turn up the voltage in complete frustration, causing severe brain damage.
"Break Before Bend" is a triumph in the cloak and dagger world of our government. It's plot driven by moral codes, patriotic duty, and psychology. Philip Kaufman, best known for his classic remake of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", the Oscar winning "The Right Stuff" and the up-coming HBO Ernest Hemingway biopic, is no stranger to unnerving scenes that will forever haunt you, but his direction and use of coverage is truly masterful-finding every which way to shoot the best scene.
The film reaches it's budding conflict when the sorrowful wife of a suspected terrorist is murdered under interrogation, prompting our hero to take a life-altering risk. With his family frightened and his emotions reaching it's peak, words were never more true as when Burke shouts that he'd rather "...be hunted by the mafia than by his own government...". A glimpse of the cat and mouse-psychological thrill ride we are set endure for the final act.
Many of the scenes are stark and confined, but Kaufman dares you to feel uncomfortable and feel for the suspects. Whether they are innocent or guilty, he craftily manipulates the viewer into vesting into the actual core of the film's theme of morality. Through every loss of life there is a life changed, and writer Kevin Jarre (Tombstone) embodies in word and structure every inch of that philosophy with his dialogue. We are the peanut gallery of medical students observing a veteran brain surgeon at work. We should all watch intently and take note.
Best Picture
Best Director - Philip Kaufman
Best Actor - Jake Gyllenhaal
Best Supporting Actor - Vincent D'Onofrio
Best Supporting Actress - Tabu
Best Supporting Actress - Sarah Polley
Best Original Screenplay - Kevin Jarre
Break Before Bend
Directed by Philip Kaufman
Written by Kevin Jarre
Cinematography by Ken Kelsch
Edited by Freeman A. Davies
Music by Ry Cooder
Produced by Walter Hill
Principal Cast:
Jake Gyllenhaal as Darren Burke
Sarah Polley as Eloise Burke
Vincent D'Onofrio as Dr. Samuel Stefano
Esai Morales as Livan Castro
Tabu as Sanjana Raj
Tagline: "The truth can hurt."
Synopsis: They knew his troubled past. They knew his calm and collective demeanor was a mask that hid his nationalistic soul. For the CIA, Darren Burke (Gyllenhaal) was the perfect recruit. Under the tutelage of Dr. Samuel Stefano (D'Onofrio), he would learn the art of interrogation and much, much more. Dr. Stefano, a Vietnam veteran, was the victim of "water boarding" by his captors during the war; stripped nude and tied down, while gallons of dirty water splashed his face, followed by single slow drops of water blasting his forehead for hours causing excruciating discomfort both mentally and physically. Dr. Stefano knew the world of torture better than anyone else. Now a master interrogator, he was ahead of his time. Developing a new form of interrogation where he would manipulate the mind. By placing an electrode inside the brain, he could control whether the suspect would feel pain, pleasure, anger or fear. The program was terminated citing possible brain damage. When 9/11 hit, the gloves came off and Dr. Stefano had free reign. Through more research he would be able to manipulate the brain into telling only the truth.
Darren Burke had entered a world over his head. He had steered clear of Dr. Stefano's experimental methods. That is until his latest suspect, notorious Cuban drug dealer Livan Castro (Morales), who had withstood the grueling "Forced Standing" technique; enduring 12 hours in shackles that stood him upright with no room to bend, lay, or kneel to pray. The memory haunts Burke's dreams, hearing the screams in his nightmares of that arachnophobic drug dealer left in shackles, only now surrounded by tarantulas, at the suggestion and behest of Dr. Stefano. Angry and ashamed with himself, Burke no longer looked his wife or children in the eyes. He had changed and it was showing. His failed attempt at suicide, physically punishing his children with a belt, along with his rough sexual behavior in the bedroom frightened his wife, Eloise (Polley), to the point of tears and confusion. When Dr. Stefano asked Darren to perform his latest brain manipulation method on the wife of a suspected terrorist, Sanjana Raj (Tabu), he finds himself at wits end with his mentor. Her desperate plea for freedom would change his mind in the end. After the death of Sanjana Raj, under interrogation at the hands of Dr. Stefano, Darren Burke now knew what he had to do. His whistle-blowing will place a target on his back. The government will use all means necessary to keep him quiet, from damaging his credibility, to assigning Dr. Stefano a project to "change" Burke's mind. A battle of wits to the tolerance of pain will test not only Darren, but his mentor as well. They would attack each other’s past painful memories, from Dr. Stefano's Vietnam experience to Darren's painful memory of being kidnapped and molested as a child. The truth is horror, and the truth will be heard at the cost of someone's life.
What the Press Will Say? The movie opens with a monotone narration by Jake Gyllenhaal, describing the numerous forms of interrogation through torture, done throughout the history of man, accompanied by gruesome re-enactments, "...British soldiers in the 18th century loved the idea of "Pitchcapping"; pouring hot tar into a cone-shaped paper "cap", which was forced onto a bound suspect's head and then allowed to cool and cruelly torn off. In World War II, “Denailing” was the method of choice, only the captors liked to soak the fingers or toes first, causing even more pain...the Viet-Kong felt the need to castrate U.S. soldiers, while both sides found water boarding an effective way to gather intelligence."
His unhinged voice sounds like Vincent Price narrating a Stephen King novel for a Books-on-Tape. It's an introduction with such impact that perfectly shapes what is to come; disturbing, but horrifically intriguing. The horror he speaks of comes in the form of one man. Dr. Samuel Stefano, played by rogue actor Vincent D'Onofrio whose personal touches to each character's personality introduce a somewhat controlled chaotic figure. He's a master at the art of "information gathering" which his predecessor, Darren Burke (Jake Gyllenhaal) comes to define it more as "experimental torture". Stefano revels more in his experiments working, with complete disregard for the suspect. D'onofrio moves with precision but yet his actions are unpredictable as in the scene where he carefully removes a shorted-out electrode that has been placed in the brain of a suspect only turn up the voltage in complete frustration, causing severe brain damage.
"Break Before Bend" is a triumph in the cloak and dagger world of our government. It's plot driven by moral codes, patriotic duty, and psychology. Philip Kaufman, best known for his classic remake of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", the Oscar winning "The Right Stuff" and the up-coming HBO Ernest Hemingway biopic, is no stranger to unnerving scenes that will forever haunt you, but his direction and use of coverage is truly masterful-finding every which way to shoot the best scene.
The film reaches it's budding conflict when the sorrowful wife of a suspected terrorist is murdered under interrogation, prompting our hero to take a life-altering risk. With his family frightened and his emotions reaching it's peak, words were never more true as when Burke shouts that he'd rather "...be hunted by the mafia than by his own government...". A glimpse of the cat and mouse-psychological thrill ride we are set endure for the final act.
Many of the scenes are stark and confined, but Kaufman dares you to feel uncomfortable and feel for the suspects. Whether they are innocent or guilty, he craftily manipulates the viewer into vesting into the actual core of the film's theme of morality. Through every loss of life there is a life changed, and writer Kevin Jarre (Tombstone) embodies in word and structure every inch of that philosophy with his dialogue. We are the peanut gallery of medical students observing a veteran brain surgeon at work. We should all watch intently and take note.
Best Picture
Best Director - Philip Kaufman
Best Actor - Jake Gyllenhaal
Best Supporting Actor - Vincent D'Onofrio
Best Supporting Actress - Tabu
Best Supporting Actress - Sarah Polley
Best Original Screenplay - Kevin Jarre
Challenge
Author(s): JG (NY)
Challenge
Directed by: Ron Howard
Written by: Dick Wolf
Music by: Jerry Goldsmith
Main Cast:
Kevin Zegers as Adam Rosenstein
Matthew Fox as Jacob Weiss
Jeremy Piven as Richard Oliver
Meryl Streep as Hannah Rosenstein
James Lafferty as Michael Darwell
Tagline: His real challenge was off the mat.
Synopsis:
Adam Rosenstein is one of the few Jewish teenagers living in his 1950's all-American southern town. He attended elementary and middle school in the state's only Jewish school with just 30 other students. When Adam was in 6th grade, a new gym teacher, Jacob Weiss, was hired and introduced him to the sport of wrestling. Rosenstein was never really into sports because Jewish kids were never allowed to enter any of the state's sports leagues or competitions. However, he became attracted to wrestling after learning that it was not a common sport and that it could help make him stronger to fight off bullies who criticized him for being Jewish. For the next few years, Adam trained and practiced wrestling with a few of his classmates. He stayed with it through his early high school years and eventually turned into an excellent wrestler. However, just before his senior year of high school, his school was shut down and he reluctantly gave up wrestling. He attended one of the local public schools for his senior year and was ridiculed for his beliefs by many of the other students. Even though he knew that Jews were not allowed to participate in school sports, he tried out for the school's wrestling team anyway. The coach, Richard Oliver, was so impressed with Rosenstein that he let him join the team anyway. That year, Adam worked his absolute hardest to remain a member of the team and to give it his all. He became the team's star player and carried his team to the state finals. However, when the opposing team discovered that Adam was Jewish, controversy arose and they demanded that he should not be allowed to participate. This led to an outburst of prejudice and hatred amongst many of the state's citizens and became a huge issue in the way high school sports were conducted in this state.
What the press would say:
In order for a film to have a great impact on the audience, it needs to be real, relatable, interesting, and inspiring. And that is exactly what "Challenge" is. It's a film about trying new things, never giving up, and always believing in yourself. Adam Rosenstein, the film's main character, struggles with each of these issues during his teenage years as a Jewish wrestler living in a Christian state. From the minute the movie begins, the audience is able to see the depth and intensity Kevin Zegers gives to his character, Rosenstein, with his two eyes alone. Right away, one can see his overwhelming amount of determination and how he is really devoting himself to be the best that he can be. As the film moves from Rosenstein as a boy learning a new sport, to a teenager challenging himself and the state in which he lives, one can see how Zegers evolves into the outstanding actor that he truly is. He really poured his soul into this role and deserves to be recognized.
Adam Rosenstein's main influences in the sport of wrestling are his middle school gym teacher (played by Matthew Fox) and his high school coach (played by Jeremy Piven). Fox's character, Jacob Weiss, serves as one of Rosenstein's father figures who stays by Adam's side throughout everything, acting as a both a mentor and a friend. Fox wonderfully portrays Weiss' sincerity and strength. Piven greatly transforms into a believable wrestling coach who just wants the best for his team and for everything to be fair.
As for the rest of the cast, Meryl Streep once again delivers playing Mrs. Rosenstein, a typical Jewish mother who deeply cares about her son. James Lafferty is also solid in a minor role as one of Rosenstein's wrestling teammates.
The final piece that completes the film is Ron Howard. Howard truly captivates the feel of Rosenstein's character throughout the film and does an excellent job of portraying life in this small southern town. Howard made sure to be up close for the intense wrestling scenes in order to make the viewers feel like they are watching it from the stands. He brilliantly balances the film and he too should be recognized for his efforts.
Although "Challenge" may seem like a typical sport movie, it really is not. It offers something different, with unique plot twists and an ending so unexpected that it will have everybody talking!
For Your Consideration:
Best Picture
Best Director: Ron Howard
Best Actor: Kevin Zegers
Best Supporting Actor: Matthew Fox
Best Supporting Actress: Meryl Streep
Best Original Screenplay: Dick Wolf
Challenge
Directed by: Ron Howard
Written by: Dick Wolf
Music by: Jerry Goldsmith
Main Cast:
Kevin Zegers as Adam Rosenstein
Matthew Fox as Jacob Weiss
Jeremy Piven as Richard Oliver
Meryl Streep as Hannah Rosenstein
James Lafferty as Michael Darwell
Tagline: His real challenge was off the mat.
Synopsis:
Adam Rosenstein is one of the few Jewish teenagers living in his 1950's all-American southern town. He attended elementary and middle school in the state's only Jewish school with just 30 other students. When Adam was in 6th grade, a new gym teacher, Jacob Weiss, was hired and introduced him to the sport of wrestling. Rosenstein was never really into sports because Jewish kids were never allowed to enter any of the state's sports leagues or competitions. However, he became attracted to wrestling after learning that it was not a common sport and that it could help make him stronger to fight off bullies who criticized him for being Jewish. For the next few years, Adam trained and practiced wrestling with a few of his classmates. He stayed with it through his early high school years and eventually turned into an excellent wrestler. However, just before his senior year of high school, his school was shut down and he reluctantly gave up wrestling. He attended one of the local public schools for his senior year and was ridiculed for his beliefs by many of the other students. Even though he knew that Jews were not allowed to participate in school sports, he tried out for the school's wrestling team anyway. The coach, Richard Oliver, was so impressed with Rosenstein that he let him join the team anyway. That year, Adam worked his absolute hardest to remain a member of the team and to give it his all. He became the team's star player and carried his team to the state finals. However, when the opposing team discovered that Adam was Jewish, controversy arose and they demanded that he should not be allowed to participate. This led to an outburst of prejudice and hatred amongst many of the state's citizens and became a huge issue in the way high school sports were conducted in this state.
What the press would say:
In order for a film to have a great impact on the audience, it needs to be real, relatable, interesting, and inspiring. And that is exactly what "Challenge" is. It's a film about trying new things, never giving up, and always believing in yourself. Adam Rosenstein, the film's main character, struggles with each of these issues during his teenage years as a Jewish wrestler living in a Christian state. From the minute the movie begins, the audience is able to see the depth and intensity Kevin Zegers gives to his character, Rosenstein, with his two eyes alone. Right away, one can see his overwhelming amount of determination and how he is really devoting himself to be the best that he can be. As the film moves from Rosenstein as a boy learning a new sport, to a teenager challenging himself and the state in which he lives, one can see how Zegers evolves into the outstanding actor that he truly is. He really poured his soul into this role and deserves to be recognized.
Adam Rosenstein's main influences in the sport of wrestling are his middle school gym teacher (played by Matthew Fox) and his high school coach (played by Jeremy Piven). Fox's character, Jacob Weiss, serves as one of Rosenstein's father figures who stays by Adam's side throughout everything, acting as a both a mentor and a friend. Fox wonderfully portrays Weiss' sincerity and strength. Piven greatly transforms into a believable wrestling coach who just wants the best for his team and for everything to be fair.
As for the rest of the cast, Meryl Streep once again delivers playing Mrs. Rosenstein, a typical Jewish mother who deeply cares about her son. James Lafferty is also solid in a minor role as one of Rosenstein's wrestling teammates.
The final piece that completes the film is Ron Howard. Howard truly captivates the feel of Rosenstein's character throughout the film and does an excellent job of portraying life in this small southern town. Howard made sure to be up close for the intense wrestling scenes in order to make the viewers feel like they are watching it from the stands. He brilliantly balances the film and he too should be recognized for his efforts.
Although "Challenge" may seem like a typical sport movie, it really is not. It offers something different, with unique plot twists and an ending so unexpected that it will have everybody talking!
For Your Consideration:
Best Picture
Best Director: Ron Howard
Best Actor: Kevin Zegers
Best Supporting Actor: Matthew Fox
Best Supporting Actress: Meryl Streep
Best Original Screenplay: Dick Wolf
Dear Mickey, Love Melinda
Author(s): Bryce (CA)
Dear Micky, Love Melinda
Directed by: James Mangold
Written by: Robert Rodat
Produced by: Cathy Konrad, James Mangold, and Mark Gordon
Principal Cast
Milo Ventimiglia as Micky Donald
Kelly Macdonald as Melinda Eckhard
William Hurt as Colonel James Trout
Michael Shannon as Alex Cooper
Adrian Pasdar as Hans Diederick
Kevin J. O'Connor as Albrecht Friedrich
Tagline: "A letter that was too late, A chance that is too futile, and A journey that may be too hopeless"
Synopsis: This letter was sent on February 14, 1939
"Dear Melinda,
I am sorry to be writing almost two years after we had met. I hope you remember me, we met in New York, remember? I really enjoyed the night we spent with each other, that is why I feel I owe you some sort of explanation for taking this long to write to you. I never told you this, but before I met you I lived a very bad life. The things I had done were terrible. To be truthful, that day when we first met I was planning to kill myself. But then I saw you. The clumsy foreign girl. I don't know what it was about you, but that day you single handedly gave me the confidence I needed to get my life together. It's because of you that I have achieved great wealth, and have fixed my relationships with my family. I want to see you again. Maybe you can come back to New York. I would be willing to pay for you and your family. By the way, how is your family? I remember you had to leave because there was trouble in your home country. Anyway, I hope you get this letter and you give my offer some thought. It would make me very happy to see you again.
Love, Micky"
Micky's letter was received three months later. Melinda's letter was written shortly after and sent shortly after. However, her letter didn't get to Micky until April 14, 1942.
"Dear Micky,
How could I ever forget the boy I met in New York, who had such crazy ambitions. Looks like they weren't so crazy after all. I'm glad to hear about your success. I would of loved to be around you more than I had gotten the chance to, but tensions with the Germans in my country is becoming dangerous. It's a miracle that I even received your letter. For the last two years my family have been able to stay alive because of my father's wealth. The Germans are greedy people, but this actually helped us stay alive. However wealth is no longer a factor anymore, and me and my family must go into hiding. I am deeply sorry to say that this will be my last letter to you until everything is safe again. That night we spent together was the most fun I ever had. I still wear the bracelet you gave to me every single day. I will try my best to stay out of harms way. I guess I will be the one with the crazy ambitions, but I have faith we will meet again in the future. Love Melinda"
Three years.....Three years ago Melinda had received Micky's letter, and now Micky has finally received her letter. He drops to the floor, dropping the letter that is three years too late. He never got to tell her how he really felt about her. He never got to tell her that his love for her grew ever since they met each other. He never got to tell her that she has been on his mind every single day since they met. He never got to show her the engagement ring he had bought.
Is Melinda even still alive? A question that plagued Micky's every thought. A question Micky was not going to let stay in his mind. Getting help from his father's old comrade, Colonial James Trout, he was able to venture off to her hometown that had been occupied by the Nazi Regime, in hopes of finding Melinda...or at least finding out what happened to her. Once he arrived Colonial Trout assigned Private Alex Cooper to aid him in his search, and gave them the aid of a German captive by the name of Albrecht Friedrich to navigate the group.
Meanwhile, as Micky and his crew come closer to finding the answer they seek, the story of what happened during the last three years of Melinda's life is revealed. Melinda and her family were brought to concentration camps, were most of her family were killed. Melinda was struggling to stay alive. If it wasn't for her beauty, and her "talents" in bed, she would of been dead by now. The soldier Melinda feared the most was Hans Diederick, who became known as the devil incarnate around the captives in the concentration camps. However, as time went by Hans began to be infatuated with Melinda. His killings slowly stopped, and Hans' superiors started taking notice, wondering if his priorities had changed. To make matters worse, Melinda's talents were soon becoming obsolete as the new batches of female captives were brought in. Luckily for Melinda, Hans had literally fallen in love with the mesmerizing Melinda. Even though his love was mysterious, he made it his life duty to make sure Melinda was kept alive.
Micky arrives in what appears to be an abandoned concentration camp. It looked as if a riot had happened, and was followed by a fire big enough to burn almost everything. But what made this concentration camp interesting, was what was found in the sleeping quarters of the camp. It was the bracelet that Micky gave to Melinda, and blood was on it. However, what made Micky excited about seeing the bracelet with spots of blood, was the fact that the blood was recent. According to Alex, the blood was only a few hours old. Could Melinda still be alive? Or will Micky find a truth that he doesn't want to believe? "Dear Micky, Love Melinda" is the story about how far one will go just to say I love you.
What The Press Would Say
I first saw "Dear Micky, Love Melinda" at the Cannes film festival months ago. After seeing it again my thoughts have remained the same. The movie is intriguing, interesting, passionate, and griping. Boasting a pitch perfect pace, the film never has a stale or dull moment. The movie is a journey that promises to test the limits of a man and woman's courage, love, compassion, determination, durability, and ego. A journey that will be just as unpredictable to the audience as to it's characters.
The structure of the movie was brilliantly planned by the movie's talented screenwriter and the movie's talented director James Mangold, who has been increasingly showing his mastery of direction. The movie starts off like "Sunset Blvd" and "Casino", right dab in the middle/end of the movie, where Micky first enters the abandoned concentration camp. Then it flashes back to the night when Micky and Melinda first met, and follows a straight timeline until Micky and his crew begin their journey. Once that happens, the story is embedded with flashbacks of what Melinda had to go through, and the movie stays like that until it's climatic ending. It's the filmmaking that help makes what may seem like an unoriginal idea, into a invigorating and interesting movie.
All the performances in the movie are solid, and everyone pulls off the appropriate accents that their character should have. Milo Ventimiglia's character is so blinded by hopes and dreams, and the feeling that he owes something to Melinda, that it almost becomes tragic to even look at him. The performance is both hauntingly tragic and sincerely touching at the same time. Kelly Macdonald's performance is also amazing. Her scenes in the flashbacks of the concentration camps are very powerful. Seeing the pain that she goes through as she witnesses each of her family members brutally killed is just horrifying. She also becomes the "slut" of the camp, sleeping with various Nazi soldiers in order to stay alive. I think the filmmakers wanted to show the purity leaving Melinda every time she commits a sexual act, and I think Macdonald was able to successfully show this. It seems as if the beauty that was so mesmerizing to everyone diminishes every time she has sex or is raped. Adrian Pasdar performance as the ruthless Nazi general was also a noteworthy performance. His performance falls short of what Ralph Fiennes achieved in "Shiendler's List" but it's still a great performance. His character becomes infected with the same love ideals that Melinda and Micky has, and as a result his ruthless ways are replaced with empathy. Seeing the coldness in Pasdar's eyes and soul turn into warmth and compassion is an amazing transformation that Pasdar was fully able to accomplish. This will be Pasdar's breakthrough role.
The movie is a lot more than what has been said. It's one of those movies you definitely have to see yourself, and not take anyone else's word except for yours. "Dear Micky, Love Melinda" will be ranked up there as one of the best of this year, a gem that no one should miss.
Best Picture
Best Director- James Mangold
Best Actor- Milo Ventimiglia
Best Actress- Kelly Macdonald
Best Supporting Actor- Adrian Pasdar
Best supporting Actor- Michael Shannon
Best supporting Actor- Kevin J. O'Connor
Best Original Screenplay- Robert Rodat
Dear Micky, Love Melinda
Directed by: James Mangold
Written by: Robert Rodat
Produced by: Cathy Konrad, James Mangold, and Mark Gordon
Principal Cast
Milo Ventimiglia as Micky Donald
Kelly Macdonald as Melinda Eckhard
William Hurt as Colonel James Trout
Michael Shannon as Alex Cooper
Adrian Pasdar as Hans Diederick
Kevin J. O'Connor as Albrecht Friedrich
Tagline: "A letter that was too late, A chance that is too futile, and A journey that may be too hopeless"
Synopsis: This letter was sent on February 14, 1939
"Dear Melinda,
I am sorry to be writing almost two years after we had met. I hope you remember me, we met in New York, remember? I really enjoyed the night we spent with each other, that is why I feel I owe you some sort of explanation for taking this long to write to you. I never told you this, but before I met you I lived a very bad life. The things I had done were terrible. To be truthful, that day when we first met I was planning to kill myself. But then I saw you. The clumsy foreign girl. I don't know what it was about you, but that day you single handedly gave me the confidence I needed to get my life together. It's because of you that I have achieved great wealth, and have fixed my relationships with my family. I want to see you again. Maybe you can come back to New York. I would be willing to pay for you and your family. By the way, how is your family? I remember you had to leave because there was trouble in your home country. Anyway, I hope you get this letter and you give my offer some thought. It would make me very happy to see you again.
Love, Micky"
Micky's letter was received three months later. Melinda's letter was written shortly after and sent shortly after. However, her letter didn't get to Micky until April 14, 1942.
"Dear Micky,
How could I ever forget the boy I met in New York, who had such crazy ambitions. Looks like they weren't so crazy after all. I'm glad to hear about your success. I would of loved to be around you more than I had gotten the chance to, but tensions with the Germans in my country is becoming dangerous. It's a miracle that I even received your letter. For the last two years my family have been able to stay alive because of my father's wealth. The Germans are greedy people, but this actually helped us stay alive. However wealth is no longer a factor anymore, and me and my family must go into hiding. I am deeply sorry to say that this will be my last letter to you until everything is safe again. That night we spent together was the most fun I ever had. I still wear the bracelet you gave to me every single day. I will try my best to stay out of harms way. I guess I will be the one with the crazy ambitions, but I have faith we will meet again in the future. Love Melinda"
Three years.....Three years ago Melinda had received Micky's letter, and now Micky has finally received her letter. He drops to the floor, dropping the letter that is three years too late. He never got to tell her how he really felt about her. He never got to tell her that his love for her grew ever since they met each other. He never got to tell her that she has been on his mind every single day since they met. He never got to show her the engagement ring he had bought.
Is Melinda even still alive? A question that plagued Micky's every thought. A question Micky was not going to let stay in his mind. Getting help from his father's old comrade, Colonial James Trout, he was able to venture off to her hometown that had been occupied by the Nazi Regime, in hopes of finding Melinda...or at least finding out what happened to her. Once he arrived Colonial Trout assigned Private Alex Cooper to aid him in his search, and gave them the aid of a German captive by the name of Albrecht Friedrich to navigate the group.
Meanwhile, as Micky and his crew come closer to finding the answer they seek, the story of what happened during the last three years of Melinda's life is revealed. Melinda and her family were brought to concentration camps, were most of her family were killed. Melinda was struggling to stay alive. If it wasn't for her beauty, and her "talents" in bed, she would of been dead by now. The soldier Melinda feared the most was Hans Diederick, who became known as the devil incarnate around the captives in the concentration camps. However, as time went by Hans began to be infatuated with Melinda. His killings slowly stopped, and Hans' superiors started taking notice, wondering if his priorities had changed. To make matters worse, Melinda's talents were soon becoming obsolete as the new batches of female captives were brought in. Luckily for Melinda, Hans had literally fallen in love with the mesmerizing Melinda. Even though his love was mysterious, he made it his life duty to make sure Melinda was kept alive.
Micky arrives in what appears to be an abandoned concentration camp. It looked as if a riot had happened, and was followed by a fire big enough to burn almost everything. But what made this concentration camp interesting, was what was found in the sleeping quarters of the camp. It was the bracelet that Micky gave to Melinda, and blood was on it. However, what made Micky excited about seeing the bracelet with spots of blood, was the fact that the blood was recent. According to Alex, the blood was only a few hours old. Could Melinda still be alive? Or will Micky find a truth that he doesn't want to believe? "Dear Micky, Love Melinda" is the story about how far one will go just to say I love you.
What The Press Would Say
I first saw "Dear Micky, Love Melinda" at the Cannes film festival months ago. After seeing it again my thoughts have remained the same. The movie is intriguing, interesting, passionate, and griping. Boasting a pitch perfect pace, the film never has a stale or dull moment. The movie is a journey that promises to test the limits of a man and woman's courage, love, compassion, determination, durability, and ego. A journey that will be just as unpredictable to the audience as to it's characters.
The structure of the movie was brilliantly planned by the movie's talented screenwriter and the movie's talented director James Mangold, who has been increasingly showing his mastery of direction. The movie starts off like "Sunset Blvd" and "Casino", right dab in the middle/end of the movie, where Micky first enters the abandoned concentration camp. Then it flashes back to the night when Micky and Melinda first met, and follows a straight timeline until Micky and his crew begin their journey. Once that happens, the story is embedded with flashbacks of what Melinda had to go through, and the movie stays like that until it's climatic ending. It's the filmmaking that help makes what may seem like an unoriginal idea, into a invigorating and interesting movie.
All the performances in the movie are solid, and everyone pulls off the appropriate accents that their character should have. Milo Ventimiglia's character is so blinded by hopes and dreams, and the feeling that he owes something to Melinda, that it almost becomes tragic to even look at him. The performance is both hauntingly tragic and sincerely touching at the same time. Kelly Macdonald's performance is also amazing. Her scenes in the flashbacks of the concentration camps are very powerful. Seeing the pain that she goes through as she witnesses each of her family members brutally killed is just horrifying. She also becomes the "slut" of the camp, sleeping with various Nazi soldiers in order to stay alive. I think the filmmakers wanted to show the purity leaving Melinda every time she commits a sexual act, and I think Macdonald was able to successfully show this. It seems as if the beauty that was so mesmerizing to everyone diminishes every time she has sex or is raped. Adrian Pasdar performance as the ruthless Nazi general was also a noteworthy performance. His performance falls short of what Ralph Fiennes achieved in "Shiendler's List" but it's still a great performance. His character becomes infected with the same love ideals that Melinda and Micky has, and as a result his ruthless ways are replaced with empathy. Seeing the coldness in Pasdar's eyes and soul turn into warmth and compassion is an amazing transformation that Pasdar was fully able to accomplish. This will be Pasdar's breakthrough role.
The movie is a lot more than what has been said. It's one of those movies you definitely have to see yourself, and not take anyone else's word except for yours. "Dear Micky, Love Melinda" will be ranked up there as one of the best of this year, a gem that no one should miss.
Best Picture
Best Director- James Mangold
Best Actor- Milo Ventimiglia
Best Actress- Kelly Macdonald
Best Supporting Actor- Adrian Pasdar
Best supporting Actor- Michael Shannon
Best supporting Actor- Kevin J. O'Connor
Best Original Screenplay- Robert Rodat
Death of a Salesman
Author(s): AJ (TN)
Death of a Salesman
Directed by Sidney Lumet
written by Kelly Masterson
Main Cast
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Charlie Fogler
Julianne Moore as Harriet Fogler
Paul Dano as Arthur Fox
Jim Caviezel as Toby Fox
Mark Wahlberg as Long Island Mike
Heather Graham as Natalie Cage
Ethan Hawke as The Guy
Tagline: N/A
Synopsis: 11:59 p.m. - Charlie Fogler walks up to his car and gets in. He locks the doors and prepares to put the key in the ignition when he feels a gun barrel put to his head........
7:30 a.m - Charlie Fogler is an independently wealthy salesman of electronics. He is unhappily married to his wife, Harriet. He goes off to work, believing this will be a normal day, just like any other. He gently leans towards his wife before he departs...
8:30 a.m. - Harriet Fogler's husband has been at work for an hour, so it is time for her weekly affair with Arthur, a college student whom she met online. She believes she is falling in love with him, but her husband stands in her way.....
11:30 a.m. - Arthur Fox visits his brother's place looking for help. Arthur tells his brother that they have it set. They can have all the money they will ever need as long as they kill this salesman so Arthur can marry his wife. Toby, Arthur's brother, says he will take care of it.
1:00 p.m. - Toby Fox only knows one dangerous guy. His drug dealer, Long Island Mike. So Toby stops over there. He asks Long Island Mike how much it would cost, and who they could have do it. Mike says his girlfriend knows a guy......
5:15 p.m. - Long Island Mike drives over to his girlfriends house to find out about the guy. When he gets there, she is doing lines of coke on the bathroom floor. She is completely messed up, but he doesnt care. He tells to get a hold of the guy, or he is cutting her off........
8:30 p.m. - Natalie Cage, still messed up on cocaine, calls up the guy. She tells him to meet her at the Teddy Bear Park. When she meets up with the guy she tells him the name of who he is supposed to find.......Charlie Fogler.
11:58 p.m. - The Guy sits in the backseat of a car he just broke into, holding a silenced Desert Eagle. He ducks down when he sees a salesman walking towards the car.....
11:59 p.m. - Charlie Fogler feels the cold steel pressed against his neck, waiting for the end. 12:00 a.m. - The Guy walks out of the car, putting the unused gun back into his coat.........
What the press would say:
Sidney Lumet's new masterpiece, Death of a Salesman, is an intricate web of lies, betrayal, and violence following and investigating all the characters involved in the death of an innocent man. By the time we get to the end, all the characters except for a few are so detatched from a person they help kill, that this is as much a social commentary on violence, as it is a moving, and dramatic character-fueled story. Lumet, who's latest collaboration with Before the Devil Knows You're Dead screenwriter Kelly Masterson, is a true american classic, taking only its name from the classic play. It creates a totally new and original story, and keeps you glued to the screen as each new character is introduced. The cast does an incredible job during the whole of the film, each having their own story that is only connected because of a singular goal. starting off the cast is Philip Seymour Hoffman. This Oscar Winner gives a surprisingly soft performance as the title salesman, unknowingly betrayed by his wife, played by Julianne Moore, in an incredibly sexy and seductive role. She wants to leave him for a younger paramour, played with bravura from Paul Dano, in one of his most mature roles. Her idea is to kill her husband, and have her young man take care of it. He accuires the help of his coke head of an older brother, played terrifically by Jim Caviezel. He enlists the help of his drug dealer, probably the best performance in the film, portrayed by Mark Wahlberg. Now Wahlberg was nominated for an Oscar for playing a cop, but he is twice as good as the other side of the law. His fast mouth, added to his constant violence make him a fearful, and yet comical character. He contacts his girlfriend, the heartbreaking Heather Graham. And finally she contacts "the Guy", a mysterious and thoughtful Ethan Hawke. "The Guy" is supposed finally take care of the salesman, but has an epiphany about killing someone he doesnt even know, taking the life from an innocent man. He cant do it, and thus walks away. Lumet casts and directs terrifically, Masterson's script is fierce and moving, and the ensemble is one of the best in years. The must see movie of the year!
AWARDS POSSIBILITIES
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Supporting Actor - Mark Wahlberg, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jim Caviezel
Best Supporting Actress - Julianne Moore, Heather Graham
Best Original Screenplay
Death of a Salesman
Directed by Sidney Lumet
written by Kelly Masterson
Main Cast
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Charlie Fogler
Julianne Moore as Harriet Fogler
Paul Dano as Arthur Fox
Jim Caviezel as Toby Fox
Mark Wahlberg as Long Island Mike
Heather Graham as Natalie Cage
Ethan Hawke as The Guy
Tagline: N/A
Synopsis: 11:59 p.m. - Charlie Fogler walks up to his car and gets in. He locks the doors and prepares to put the key in the ignition when he feels a gun barrel put to his head........
7:30 a.m - Charlie Fogler is an independently wealthy salesman of electronics. He is unhappily married to his wife, Harriet. He goes off to work, believing this will be a normal day, just like any other. He gently leans towards his wife before he departs...
8:30 a.m. - Harriet Fogler's husband has been at work for an hour, so it is time for her weekly affair with Arthur, a college student whom she met online. She believes she is falling in love with him, but her husband stands in her way.....
11:30 a.m. - Arthur Fox visits his brother's place looking for help. Arthur tells his brother that they have it set. They can have all the money they will ever need as long as they kill this salesman so Arthur can marry his wife. Toby, Arthur's brother, says he will take care of it.
1:00 p.m. - Toby Fox only knows one dangerous guy. His drug dealer, Long Island Mike. So Toby stops over there. He asks Long Island Mike how much it would cost, and who they could have do it. Mike says his girlfriend knows a guy......
5:15 p.m. - Long Island Mike drives over to his girlfriends house to find out about the guy. When he gets there, she is doing lines of coke on the bathroom floor. She is completely messed up, but he doesnt care. He tells to get a hold of the guy, or he is cutting her off........
8:30 p.m. - Natalie Cage, still messed up on cocaine, calls up the guy. She tells him to meet her at the Teddy Bear Park. When she meets up with the guy she tells him the name of who he is supposed to find.......Charlie Fogler.
11:58 p.m. - The Guy sits in the backseat of a car he just broke into, holding a silenced Desert Eagle. He ducks down when he sees a salesman walking towards the car.....
11:59 p.m. - Charlie Fogler feels the cold steel pressed against his neck, waiting for the end. 12:00 a.m. - The Guy walks out of the car, putting the unused gun back into his coat.........
What the press would say:
Sidney Lumet's new masterpiece, Death of a Salesman, is an intricate web of lies, betrayal, and violence following and investigating all the characters involved in the death of an innocent man. By the time we get to the end, all the characters except for a few are so detatched from a person they help kill, that this is as much a social commentary on violence, as it is a moving, and dramatic character-fueled story. Lumet, who's latest collaboration with Before the Devil Knows You're Dead screenwriter Kelly Masterson, is a true american classic, taking only its name from the classic play. It creates a totally new and original story, and keeps you glued to the screen as each new character is introduced. The cast does an incredible job during the whole of the film, each having their own story that is only connected because of a singular goal. starting off the cast is Philip Seymour Hoffman. This Oscar Winner gives a surprisingly soft performance as the title salesman, unknowingly betrayed by his wife, played by Julianne Moore, in an incredibly sexy and seductive role. She wants to leave him for a younger paramour, played with bravura from Paul Dano, in one of his most mature roles. Her idea is to kill her husband, and have her young man take care of it. He accuires the help of his coke head of an older brother, played terrifically by Jim Caviezel. He enlists the help of his drug dealer, probably the best performance in the film, portrayed by Mark Wahlberg. Now Wahlberg was nominated for an Oscar for playing a cop, but he is twice as good as the other side of the law. His fast mouth, added to his constant violence make him a fearful, and yet comical character. He contacts his girlfriend, the heartbreaking Heather Graham. And finally she contacts "the Guy", a mysterious and thoughtful Ethan Hawke. "The Guy" is supposed finally take care of the salesman, but has an epiphany about killing someone he doesnt even know, taking the life from an innocent man. He cant do it, and thus walks away. Lumet casts and directs terrifically, Masterson's script is fierce and moving, and the ensemble is one of the best in years. The must see movie of the year!
AWARDS POSSIBILITIES
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Supporting Actor - Mark Wahlberg, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jim Caviezel
Best Supporting Actress - Julianne Moore, Heather Graham
Best Original Screenplay
The House on Mango Street
Author(s): Connor Campbell (TX)
The House on Mango Street
Directed by Alfonso Cuaron
Written by Sandra Cisneros and Alfonso Cuaron
Cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki
Score by Yann Tiersen
CAST
Ivana Baquero- Ezperanza Cordero
Tony Plana- Papa
Judy Reyes- Mama
Raquel Castro- Nenny
Selena Gomez- Rachel
Victoria Justice- Lucy
TAGLINE: “You live there?”
SYNOPSIS:
“We didn’t always live on Mango Street… I knew then I needed to have a house. A real house. One I could point to. But this isn’t it. The house on Mango Street isn’t it.”
Esperanza and her family never stayed in the same place long, often shifting between Mexico and Chicago. She was 15 and her little sister Nenny was 13 when they moved to Mango Street, quite possibly the worst neighborhood in Chicago. It was the first time they had ever lived in a house rather than an apartment, but it still wasn’t anything to be proud of. During the short time they spent in the house on Mango Street, Esperanza began to develop into a young woman. She dreamt of going to college and becoming a writer, but her father would discourage it because she learned that Mexican culture, like the Chinese, likes to keep their women weak. She understood this fully. She didn’t honestly think that a little Mexican girl in 1966 from Mango Street would ever go to college. Nobody on this street would.
The other residents of Mango Street were much like her family, people who drift in and out of America. There were her best friends, Rachel and Lucy. Sally, who would marry at the age of 16 to a man who might have been 3 times as old as her. Marin, who was quite simply a whore. Alicia, who saw invisible mice and Elinita who told fortunes. Mango street would change Esperanza. She was tortured by her development into a woman that she was in no way ready for. She was even sexually assaulted at a carnival. But mostly Mango Street showed her the life that she wanted to avoid at all costs. She didn’t want to become her grand-mother; tricked into marriage and left to stare out the window watching her life go by. She would leave Mango Street. She would go to college. She would show everyone that she could do whatever she wanted.
“I put it down on paper and then the ghost does not ache so much. I write it down and Mango says goodbye sometimes. She does not hold me with both arms. She sets me free. One day I will pack my bags of books and paper. One day I will say goodbye to Mango. I am too strong for her to keep me here forever. One day I will go away."
Awards Campaign:
The House on Mango Street, the newest film by Alfonso Cuaron delves into 1960’s Mexican-American culture. We witness the growth of young Esperanza who fights her pre-destined future. Through a series of short, seemingly independent stories we witness the maturing of Esperanza. Alfonso Cuaron captures the essence of ethnic Chicago brilliantly by using shades of red, orange and brown, a very brassy and latin score and letting us see what Esperanza sees as apposed to just seeing Esperanza. Sandra Cisneros who wrote the series of vignettes that the film is based on writes an equally poignant script. Those who have read the book might find a film adaptation impossible but Cisneros and Cuaron’s script proves otherwise.
Ivana Baquero is the highlight of the film as Esperanza, the aspiring writer who longs to be someone else. Baquero, who made a name for herself in 2006’s Pan’s Labyrinth, shines in the lead role. She shows us innocence and childishness in the beginning which morphs into maturity and wisdom almost effortlessly. Baquero gives the best performance of the year in the best film of the year. This brilliant coming of age film is a must-see for everyone. ****/****
FYC:
Best Picture
Best Director- Alfonso Cuaron
Best Actress- Ivana Baquero
Best Adapted Screenplay- Sandra Cisneros and Alfonso Cuaron
The House on Mango Street
Directed by Alfonso Cuaron
Written by Sandra Cisneros and Alfonso Cuaron
Cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki
Score by Yann Tiersen
CAST
Ivana Baquero- Ezperanza Cordero
Tony Plana- Papa
Judy Reyes- Mama
Raquel Castro- Nenny
Selena Gomez- Rachel
Victoria Justice- Lucy
TAGLINE: “You live there?”
SYNOPSIS:
“We didn’t always live on Mango Street… I knew then I needed to have a house. A real house. One I could point to. But this isn’t it. The house on Mango Street isn’t it.”
Esperanza and her family never stayed in the same place long, often shifting between Mexico and Chicago. She was 15 and her little sister Nenny was 13 when they moved to Mango Street, quite possibly the worst neighborhood in Chicago. It was the first time they had ever lived in a house rather than an apartment, but it still wasn’t anything to be proud of. During the short time they spent in the house on Mango Street, Esperanza began to develop into a young woman. She dreamt of going to college and becoming a writer, but her father would discourage it because she learned that Mexican culture, like the Chinese, likes to keep their women weak. She understood this fully. She didn’t honestly think that a little Mexican girl in 1966 from Mango Street would ever go to college. Nobody on this street would.
The other residents of Mango Street were much like her family, people who drift in and out of America. There were her best friends, Rachel and Lucy. Sally, who would marry at the age of 16 to a man who might have been 3 times as old as her. Marin, who was quite simply a whore. Alicia, who saw invisible mice and Elinita who told fortunes. Mango street would change Esperanza. She was tortured by her development into a woman that she was in no way ready for. She was even sexually assaulted at a carnival. But mostly Mango Street showed her the life that she wanted to avoid at all costs. She didn’t want to become her grand-mother; tricked into marriage and left to stare out the window watching her life go by. She would leave Mango Street. She would go to college. She would show everyone that she could do whatever she wanted.
“I put it down on paper and then the ghost does not ache so much. I write it down and Mango says goodbye sometimes. She does not hold me with both arms. She sets me free. One day I will pack my bags of books and paper. One day I will say goodbye to Mango. I am too strong for her to keep me here forever. One day I will go away."
Awards Campaign:
The House on Mango Street, the newest film by Alfonso Cuaron delves into 1960’s Mexican-American culture. We witness the growth of young Esperanza who fights her pre-destined future. Through a series of short, seemingly independent stories we witness the maturing of Esperanza. Alfonso Cuaron captures the essence of ethnic Chicago brilliantly by using shades of red, orange and brown, a very brassy and latin score and letting us see what Esperanza sees as apposed to just seeing Esperanza. Sandra Cisneros who wrote the series of vignettes that the film is based on writes an equally poignant script. Those who have read the book might find a film adaptation impossible but Cisneros and Cuaron’s script proves otherwise.
Ivana Baquero is the highlight of the film as Esperanza, the aspiring writer who longs to be someone else. Baquero, who made a name for herself in 2006’s Pan’s Labyrinth, shines in the lead role. She shows us innocence and childishness in the beginning which morphs into maturity and wisdom almost effortlessly. Baquero gives the best performance of the year in the best film of the year. This brilliant coming of age film is a must-see for everyone. ****/****
FYC:
Best Picture
Best Director- Alfonso Cuaron
Best Actress- Ivana Baquero
Best Adapted Screenplay- Sandra Cisneros and Alfonso Cuaron
The Juke
Author(s): Douglas Reese (MI)
The Juke
Directed by Tamara Jenkins
Written by Robert Dillon
Produced by Brad Grey, Keith Gordon, Tamara Jenkins, and Marc Turtletaub
Edited by Curtiss Clayton
Cinematography by Michael Ballhaus
Original Score by Brian Reitzell
Cast:
Ryan Gosling … Robert Grooms
Jena Malone … Brianna Kirker
Alan Arkin … Jimmy
Tagline: “Pain Only Helps”
Plot: Sitting steadily in the chair, Robert recollects all the things that Dr. Reed would tell the whole class. The same words would be forcibly ripped from his personal insides: “Hi, I’m Robert and I am an alcoholic.”
He never began to drink away his guilt until May 3rd of that year; when guilt actually took its first assault on him. The sheriff would arrive and call in the life squad – an unnecessary action when her lifeless body would just still be hanging from that tree. The guilt would come mostly from Robert’s unwillingness to grasp onto his wife’s dilemmas. But most of all would come from his own difficulty of dropping his womanizing addiction.
And now the women have become stale, and the alcohol - the compulsion.
When the bottle is not to his lips, Robert picks at his guitar and sings those old countryside songs his dad used to play. Every song fueled without joy and instead - presented with an enthusiastic voice of grief.
To pay off his crummy apartment and for his alcoholic necessitates, Robert works at The Jukebox – a bar packed with every town drunk and party girl, booming with business although hidden behind the looming woods of Southern Ohio. He is well loved by the crowds there and when he sings, most of the members stop to stare at his performance. Robert also finds cherishment in an old friend of his, Jimmy. A 72-year-old legless Vietnam veteran, Jimmy is a stubborn man but a father figure to Robert. But things turn for the worse as Robert has to say goodbye to Jimmy, who travels to Florida in order to find tranquility.
But it is not long until one particular person arrives at “The Juke”. One that Robert brings a higher state of emotion into his lyrics as he sings one night.
Brianna Kirker, Robert’s high school girlfriend from Charleston , West Virginia . An unusual run-in miles and years away from a past romance that faded down the road. Robert chats with Brianna who states how she is heading for Chicago to get away from her abusive boyfriend and the reminiscences of her 4-year-old son whom was found murdered at the school park. She is blunt with her personally affecting issues, and for the Robert acts in both surprise and in appreciation; this action raises confidence for Robert to be open about his fiancé’s suicide.
She had been staying in her car, parking in alleys and store lots, hoping to sleep away her painful memories that she wishes would stay back in Charleston . Memories so hard to forget that they torture her more the farther she tries to flee from them. Robert offers his help, allowing her to stay in his apartment. Although the rooms are trashed, bottles scattered endlessly around the floors, he only thinks about how she would need the help. His helping hands aid his own haunting feelings of losing someone.
The next morning, Brianna wakes up. No more oceans of bottles floating around, the apartment is cleaned up in a manly, “still-dusty” kind of way. Robert sits in his La-Z-Boy, a smile, a beer in his hand. The two go out for breakfast at The Juke and begin to talk more about what they have lived through for the long nine years since high school. The relationships, the losses, the commitments, and the forgotten. But the two also look back on their own high school experiences, laugh over the times when he sung and she danced for public fans of their old band, and then become moved by the thoughts of how things may have actually worked. But Robert declares to himself that he may not be able to love again. Brianna says she understands.
To carry on the day, Robert shows Brianna around the town. Showing the beautiful country landscape, sitting by the creeks where the two remember moments alone by a creek in Charleston . It was at that time that the two would share their first romantic experience and while Robert doesn’t want to admit it, this moment still sparks a cherishment deep down in his soul.
After the day goes by, it finally becomes nighttime. The two return to The Juke, where Robert plays a few songs, ending with a completely happy, bubbly tune that only helps bring forth positive vibes between both Robert and Brianna. She walks on the stage and dances in front of the drunken audience, smiling. A performance that holds the two close; played on a night at The Juke, where two friends relive each other’s happiest times.
After the performance, the two walk out to Brianna’s car. She doesn’t want to, but she knows she has to go. Robert is aware of why, and he hugs her. She cries, offering him a ride home. He’d rather stay at the bar longer. She gets into the car and rolls down her window. Robert smiles, and she returns one back. She starts the car and pulls out onto the road as she drives away. Robert returns to the bar. Offered a beer, he just smiles.
What the Press Would Say:
With “The Juke”, Tamara Jenkins heads in another destination unlike any of her previous films. Taking on a dramatic human story with some of the wry and gritty horrors of life itself, Jenkins also fixes the film up with dark comedic moments, mainly focusing on the humor of human nature. Jenkins beautifully takes Robert Dillon’s masterfully done script and turns it into a wonderful movie lesson about finding hope through the good memories when stuck in a world of regret. The film also manages to pull together a powerful theme of how a man can be trapped by his own uncontrollable emotions, and still manages to show a wonderful story that enthralls its viewers to relate to, and be touched by, these two human beings who help one another through each other’s personal horrors. And to illustrate this tale, Jenkins casts Ryan Gosling as Robert Grooms. The sometimes quiet, sometimes bouncy performer that waddles through his life day by day, regretting his unfaithful behavior to his fiancé, and finding calmness in a cold bottle of booze. And Gosling’s performance is all so subtle that once his character meets up with Brianna Kirker, he begins to find that she is a much better remedy to his problems that any drop of alcohol.
As Brianna Kirker, Jena Malone brings humanity and trust to the screen. A wonderful mixture that she portrays so exceptionally that when she talks to Robert, you can see why he finds bliss in her, she is a very down-to-earth girl, even though she is obviously emotionally-scorched just as much, although in a different way, as Robert is. A bravura stand-out scene comes from both Malone and Gosling when the two recall the night they lost their virginity to one another. A very soft-spoken but emotional conversation by the creek, in which brings so much depth to the past connection between both characters. Jenkins masterfully directs the scene to where we feel that old emotion seeping through the screen, and we feel, understand, and connect with Robert and Brianna’s relationship.
A small cast, but one ecstatically acted, Alan Arkin finishes the list off as war veteran Jimmy. The man in the wheelchair that lives next door to Robert, and the man that helps Robert fend off to losing his sanity. But also a man that has to leave Robert behind for his own peace and freedom for himself. A father-like figure to Robert and a willful man in need of finishing his life with his own dream, Jimmy is a kind soul, but immovable. Small, but powerful, Arkin leaves an impression of the viewer as much as the impression he leaves on Robert when Jimmy hops into a van with his “woman” and drives away for Florida, a place Jimmy has always dreamed of fleeing to.
Tamara Jenkins tells this simple story with high doses of honesty. Never does the film back down from being too realistic, and never does it want you to take it as a life-changing experience. The film instead works on making the viewer realize that for many, living through these occurrences is relevant. Sometimes they are tough situations to dig out of. But also, there can be hope for many, sometimes in another person who is scarred with the same emotions. Robert Dillon (2000’s “Waking the Dead”) brings a surreal screenplay to help give the film its true emotional center. Sprouting realistic, sometimes edgy dialogue and telling the story in straightforward fashion, not showing anything but the present and only seeing the emotional moments in the past through the characters’ own words. A truly wonderful comedy-drama, without sentiment, “The Juke” is a daring example that Tamara Jenkins is a sensational director whom fuels her movies with pure emotion, and brings the viewer a beautiful connection, without playing it too bold.
For Your Consideration:
Best Picture
Best Director – Tamara Jenkins
Best Original Screenplay – Robert Dillon
Best Actor – Ryan Gosling
Best Actress – Jena Malone
Best Supporting Actor – Alan Arkin
The Juke
Directed by Tamara Jenkins
Written by Robert Dillon
Produced by Brad Grey, Keith Gordon, Tamara Jenkins, and Marc Turtletaub
Edited by Curtiss Clayton
Cinematography by Michael Ballhaus
Original Score by Brian Reitzell
Cast:
Ryan Gosling … Robert Grooms
Jena Malone … Brianna Kirker
Alan Arkin … Jimmy
Tagline: “Pain Only Helps”
Plot: Sitting steadily in the chair, Robert recollects all the things that Dr. Reed would tell the whole class. The same words would be forcibly ripped from his personal insides: “Hi, I’m Robert and I am an alcoholic.”
He never began to drink away his guilt until May 3rd of that year; when guilt actually took its first assault on him. The sheriff would arrive and call in the life squad – an unnecessary action when her lifeless body would just still be hanging from that tree. The guilt would come mostly from Robert’s unwillingness to grasp onto his wife’s dilemmas. But most of all would come from his own difficulty of dropping his womanizing addiction.
And now the women have become stale, and the alcohol - the compulsion.
When the bottle is not to his lips, Robert picks at his guitar and sings those old countryside songs his dad used to play. Every song fueled without joy and instead - presented with an enthusiastic voice of grief.
To pay off his crummy apartment and for his alcoholic necessitates, Robert works at The Jukebox – a bar packed with every town drunk and party girl, booming with business although hidden behind the looming woods of Southern Ohio. He is well loved by the crowds there and when he sings, most of the members stop to stare at his performance. Robert also finds cherishment in an old friend of his, Jimmy. A 72-year-old legless Vietnam veteran, Jimmy is a stubborn man but a father figure to Robert. But things turn for the worse as Robert has to say goodbye to Jimmy, who travels to Florida in order to find tranquility.
But it is not long until one particular person arrives at “The Juke”. One that Robert brings a higher state of emotion into his lyrics as he sings one night.
Brianna Kirker, Robert’s high school girlfriend from Charleston , West Virginia . An unusual run-in miles and years away from a past romance that faded down the road. Robert chats with Brianna who states how she is heading for Chicago to get away from her abusive boyfriend and the reminiscences of her 4-year-old son whom was found murdered at the school park. She is blunt with her personally affecting issues, and for the Robert acts in both surprise and in appreciation; this action raises confidence for Robert to be open about his fiancé’s suicide.
She had been staying in her car, parking in alleys and store lots, hoping to sleep away her painful memories that she wishes would stay back in Charleston . Memories so hard to forget that they torture her more the farther she tries to flee from them. Robert offers his help, allowing her to stay in his apartment. Although the rooms are trashed, bottles scattered endlessly around the floors, he only thinks about how she would need the help. His helping hands aid his own haunting feelings of losing someone.
The next morning, Brianna wakes up. No more oceans of bottles floating around, the apartment is cleaned up in a manly, “still-dusty” kind of way. Robert sits in his La-Z-Boy, a smile, a beer in his hand. The two go out for breakfast at The Juke and begin to talk more about what they have lived through for the long nine years since high school. The relationships, the losses, the commitments, and the forgotten. But the two also look back on their own high school experiences, laugh over the times when he sung and she danced for public fans of their old band, and then become moved by the thoughts of how things may have actually worked. But Robert declares to himself that he may not be able to love again. Brianna says she understands.
To carry on the day, Robert shows Brianna around the town. Showing the beautiful country landscape, sitting by the creeks where the two remember moments alone by a creek in Charleston . It was at that time that the two would share their first romantic experience and while Robert doesn’t want to admit it, this moment still sparks a cherishment deep down in his soul.
After the day goes by, it finally becomes nighttime. The two return to The Juke, where Robert plays a few songs, ending with a completely happy, bubbly tune that only helps bring forth positive vibes between both Robert and Brianna. She walks on the stage and dances in front of the drunken audience, smiling. A performance that holds the two close; played on a night at The Juke, where two friends relive each other’s happiest times.
After the performance, the two walk out to Brianna’s car. She doesn’t want to, but she knows she has to go. Robert is aware of why, and he hugs her. She cries, offering him a ride home. He’d rather stay at the bar longer. She gets into the car and rolls down her window. Robert smiles, and she returns one back. She starts the car and pulls out onto the road as she drives away. Robert returns to the bar. Offered a beer, he just smiles.
What the Press Would Say:
With “The Juke”, Tamara Jenkins heads in another destination unlike any of her previous films. Taking on a dramatic human story with some of the wry and gritty horrors of life itself, Jenkins also fixes the film up with dark comedic moments, mainly focusing on the humor of human nature. Jenkins beautifully takes Robert Dillon’s masterfully done script and turns it into a wonderful movie lesson about finding hope through the good memories when stuck in a world of regret. The film also manages to pull together a powerful theme of how a man can be trapped by his own uncontrollable emotions, and still manages to show a wonderful story that enthralls its viewers to relate to, and be touched by, these two human beings who help one another through each other’s personal horrors. And to illustrate this tale, Jenkins casts Ryan Gosling as Robert Grooms. The sometimes quiet, sometimes bouncy performer that waddles through his life day by day, regretting his unfaithful behavior to his fiancé, and finding calmness in a cold bottle of booze. And Gosling’s performance is all so subtle that once his character meets up with Brianna Kirker, he begins to find that she is a much better remedy to his problems that any drop of alcohol.
As Brianna Kirker, Jena Malone brings humanity and trust to the screen. A wonderful mixture that she portrays so exceptionally that when she talks to Robert, you can see why he finds bliss in her, she is a very down-to-earth girl, even though she is obviously emotionally-scorched just as much, although in a different way, as Robert is. A bravura stand-out scene comes from both Malone and Gosling when the two recall the night they lost their virginity to one another. A very soft-spoken but emotional conversation by the creek, in which brings so much depth to the past connection between both characters. Jenkins masterfully directs the scene to where we feel that old emotion seeping through the screen, and we feel, understand, and connect with Robert and Brianna’s relationship.
A small cast, but one ecstatically acted, Alan Arkin finishes the list off as war veteran Jimmy. The man in the wheelchair that lives next door to Robert, and the man that helps Robert fend off to losing his sanity. But also a man that has to leave Robert behind for his own peace and freedom for himself. A father-like figure to Robert and a willful man in need of finishing his life with his own dream, Jimmy is a kind soul, but immovable. Small, but powerful, Arkin leaves an impression of the viewer as much as the impression he leaves on Robert when Jimmy hops into a van with his “woman” and drives away for Florida, a place Jimmy has always dreamed of fleeing to.
Tamara Jenkins tells this simple story with high doses of honesty. Never does the film back down from being too realistic, and never does it want you to take it as a life-changing experience. The film instead works on making the viewer realize that for many, living through these occurrences is relevant. Sometimes they are tough situations to dig out of. But also, there can be hope for many, sometimes in another person who is scarred with the same emotions. Robert Dillon (2000’s “Waking the Dead”) brings a surreal screenplay to help give the film its true emotional center. Sprouting realistic, sometimes edgy dialogue and telling the story in straightforward fashion, not showing anything but the present and only seeing the emotional moments in the past through the characters’ own words. A truly wonderful comedy-drama, without sentiment, “The Juke” is a daring example that Tamara Jenkins is a sensational director whom fuels her movies with pure emotion, and brings the viewer a beautiful connection, without playing it too bold.
For Your Consideration:
Best Picture
Best Director – Tamara Jenkins
Best Original Screenplay – Robert Dillon
Best Actor – Ryan Gosling
Best Actress – Jena Malone
Best Supporting Actor – Alan Arkin
Miles Away
Author(s): TD (TX)
Miles Away
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Written by Stephen Gaghan and Susannah Grant
Produced by Laura Bickford, Michael Shamberg, and Steven Soderbergh
Distributed by Focus Features
Cinematography by Steven Soderbergh (Peter Andrews)
Editing by Stephen Mirrione
Music by Thomas Newman
Principal Cast
Joaquin Phoenix as PFC Eric Sanders
Bahar Soomekh as Saman Al-Rashid Sanders
Wes Bentley as Pvt. Michael Dempsey
Zooey Deschanel as Clara Dempsey
Rhiannon Leigh Wryn as Kelly Dempsey
Tagline: “Two lovers. Two places. One goal: to see each other again.”
Synopsis:
Dear Saman,
I hope you’re doing well at the Dempseys’ home in Amesbury. Everything here in Iraq is not looking to well at all. Yesterday our battalion had lost three more of its soldiers, and I’m not sure how long I can’t take this. Everyday I get sick of seeing my friends dying in the streets and watching innocent civilians get attack by both our soldiers and the enemies’ men. However, I am glad that Michael is still alive and here with me. Today, he and his squad were in a bombing accident, and lucky for him he was the only survivor. I don’t know what I would do if he was dead now. I may be still fighting for our country or hopping on the first plane home to you. Saman, I want to come home and see you badly, and I know you wanted to stay here in Iraq , but your family and I felt it was best for you to move to Massachusetts away from the horror and violence here. Don’t worry for me, Saman. I’ll be home in about a month and I hope I’ll be alive until then. I love you, Saman, and I can’t wait to see you again.
With Love,
Eric
Dear Eric,
Life here in America is different from Iraq . I’m not sure what it is, but the people here in Amesbury have been acting strange towards me and some wouldn’t look at me at all. It’s been nearly a week since I’ve arrived at the Dempseys’ home, and it’s been quite difficult to get along with Clara. Ever since I arrived here she looks at me with disgust and treats me like I’m her servant. Last night she had a party and I was forced to stay in my room because she said I would embarrass her and little Kelly. And today I told her I will not cook for her and she threw a fit at me and locked me in my room. I thought you said she was a nice woman, but it appears both you and Michael were wrong. I am glad, however, that Kelly is nothing like her mother. She is very kind and caring to me, and I’ll admit she’s the only friend I have in this hateful country. Eric, I do hope you and Michael come home soon. I truly miss you a lot, and once you come home I want to leave this place. If the people here in Amesbury are truly like others in America then I don’t want to be here. Eric, I love you with all my heart, and I hope you come home safe and soon.
With Love,
Saman
What the press will say:
War is a cruel thing. Not only does it take away the lives of others, but it also separates the lives of others. For both Eric and Saman, this is the case they both suffer from. In Soderbergh’s newly acclaimed film, both of these characters are miles away from each on different continents facing difficult situation. Soderbergh’s film “Miles Away” is a deeply moving film that excels above his previous films and will become a hit this month. Not only does his brilliant directing in both an American scenic town and a Middle Eastern desert helps carry the film, but so does the script, which is written by two of Soderbergh’s previous film writers. Stephen Gaghan, who wrote the script for “Traffic”, and Susannah Grant, who wrote the script for “Erin Brockovich”, team up to work with their old friend to write this thoughtful and war-inducing script that’ll be hailed by all critics and audiences alike. The cast of “Miles Away” is perfect and every actor does an outstanding job in their role. Leading this wonderful cast is Joaquin Phoenix, who plays the main character Eric Sanders. Eric is a soldier who loves his country, and he joins the army to fight in the war against terrorism. While being in Iraq he sees that everything he’s fighting for is not worth it and all he wishes to do is leave and go back home with his best friend Michael Dempsey. Upon arrival in Iraq he meets a beautiful woman named Saman Al-Rashid, who is played by the wonderful actress Bahar Soomekh. Saman is an Iraqi woman who lost her parents in a bomb attack, and Eric heroically saves her from the attack. The two deliver outstanding performances as they go through their secret affair and marriage, her secret escape to America , and the struggle to live far away in a place he can’t stand and in a town that doesn’t accept her. Eric suffers through the horror of war, watching a lot of his friends and innocent civilians get killed in front of his eyes, while his wife suffers racism and hate in the small Massachusetts town.
Not only were the two leads great, but so were the supporting cast. Every good film with great leads needs a great supporting cast to back them up, and this film has it all. Wes Bentley, who plays Eric’s best friend Michael, is the only supporting male in this film, but he does an amazing job in his role. Michael is a young, optimistic soldier with a passion for wars and joins the army to fight in it, but after getting injured in the attack he realizes that losing his life at a young age is not worth fighting for a war that has no cause, and throughout the rest of the film he fights for his life on his death bed with Eric by his side. However, his wife Clara and his young daughter Kelly doesn’t know about his incident or that he’s dying. Instead the two must deal with Saman. Clara, who is brilliantly played by Zooey Deschanel, is a loving young woman taking care of her daughter while her husband is away at war. When she received the news about Michael offering to let Saman stay in their home, her loving attitude begins to fade away. Once Saman arrives, Clara begins to treat her differently by locking her in the guest room after dinner is over and she treats her like dirt. At times she would bring her out of the house, but Saman faces hate almost everywhere she goes, and Clara is ignored by all due to her being with Saman. However, the only person in Amesbury to treat Saman with love and care is Kelly, the Dempseys’ daughter. On days when she’s bored or lonely, she would talk to Saman and treat her as if she was her best friend. During the film Kelly is Saman’s only friend, and she doesn’t take her for granted.
“Miles Away” is a powerful and moving war drama film that’ll leave many in tears and will once again establish Soderbergh as a great director. With it’s intense cast, hard-pounding script, clear camera work by Soderbergh, careful and detailed editing by Stephen Mirrione, and a sad but sweet harmonic score by Thomas Newman, this is a film that’s sure to sweep the Oscars in June.
For Your Consideration
Best Picture
Best Director – Steven Soderbergh
Best Actor in a Leading Role – Joaquin Phoenix
Best Actress in a Leading Role – Bahar Soomekh
Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Wes Bentley
Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Zooey Deschanel
Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Rhiannon Leigh Wryn
Best Original Screenplay
Miles Away
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Written by Stephen Gaghan and Susannah Grant
Produced by Laura Bickford, Michael Shamberg, and Steven Soderbergh
Distributed by Focus Features
Cinematography by Steven Soderbergh (Peter Andrews)
Editing by Stephen Mirrione
Music by Thomas Newman
Principal Cast
Joaquin Phoenix as PFC Eric Sanders
Bahar Soomekh as Saman Al-Rashid Sanders
Wes Bentley as Pvt. Michael Dempsey
Zooey Deschanel as Clara Dempsey
Rhiannon Leigh Wryn as Kelly Dempsey
Tagline: “Two lovers. Two places. One goal: to see each other again.”
Synopsis:
Dear Saman,
I hope you’re doing well at the Dempseys’ home in Amesbury. Everything here in Iraq is not looking to well at all. Yesterday our battalion had lost three more of its soldiers, and I’m not sure how long I can’t take this. Everyday I get sick of seeing my friends dying in the streets and watching innocent civilians get attack by both our soldiers and the enemies’ men. However, I am glad that Michael is still alive and here with me. Today, he and his squad were in a bombing accident, and lucky for him he was the only survivor. I don’t know what I would do if he was dead now. I may be still fighting for our country or hopping on the first plane home to you. Saman, I want to come home and see you badly, and I know you wanted to stay here in Iraq , but your family and I felt it was best for you to move to Massachusetts away from the horror and violence here. Don’t worry for me, Saman. I’ll be home in about a month and I hope I’ll be alive until then. I love you, Saman, and I can’t wait to see you again.
With Love,
Eric
Dear Eric,
Life here in America is different from Iraq . I’m not sure what it is, but the people here in Amesbury have been acting strange towards me and some wouldn’t look at me at all. It’s been nearly a week since I’ve arrived at the Dempseys’ home, and it’s been quite difficult to get along with Clara. Ever since I arrived here she looks at me with disgust and treats me like I’m her servant. Last night she had a party and I was forced to stay in my room because she said I would embarrass her and little Kelly. And today I told her I will not cook for her and she threw a fit at me and locked me in my room. I thought you said she was a nice woman, but it appears both you and Michael were wrong. I am glad, however, that Kelly is nothing like her mother. She is very kind and caring to me, and I’ll admit she’s the only friend I have in this hateful country. Eric, I do hope you and Michael come home soon. I truly miss you a lot, and once you come home I want to leave this place. If the people here in Amesbury are truly like others in America then I don’t want to be here. Eric, I love you with all my heart, and I hope you come home safe and soon.
With Love,
Saman
What the press will say:
War is a cruel thing. Not only does it take away the lives of others, but it also separates the lives of others. For both Eric and Saman, this is the case they both suffer from. In Soderbergh’s newly acclaimed film, both of these characters are miles away from each on different continents facing difficult situation. Soderbergh’s film “Miles Away” is a deeply moving film that excels above his previous films and will become a hit this month. Not only does his brilliant directing in both an American scenic town and a Middle Eastern desert helps carry the film, but so does the script, which is written by two of Soderbergh’s previous film writers. Stephen Gaghan, who wrote the script for “Traffic”, and Susannah Grant, who wrote the script for “Erin Brockovich”, team up to work with their old friend to write this thoughtful and war-inducing script that’ll be hailed by all critics and audiences alike. The cast of “Miles Away” is perfect and every actor does an outstanding job in their role. Leading this wonderful cast is Joaquin Phoenix, who plays the main character Eric Sanders. Eric is a soldier who loves his country, and he joins the army to fight in the war against terrorism. While being in Iraq he sees that everything he’s fighting for is not worth it and all he wishes to do is leave and go back home with his best friend Michael Dempsey. Upon arrival in Iraq he meets a beautiful woman named Saman Al-Rashid, who is played by the wonderful actress Bahar Soomekh. Saman is an Iraqi woman who lost her parents in a bomb attack, and Eric heroically saves her from the attack. The two deliver outstanding performances as they go through their secret affair and marriage, her secret escape to America , and the struggle to live far away in a place he can’t stand and in a town that doesn’t accept her. Eric suffers through the horror of war, watching a lot of his friends and innocent civilians get killed in front of his eyes, while his wife suffers racism and hate in the small Massachusetts town.
Not only were the two leads great, but so were the supporting cast. Every good film with great leads needs a great supporting cast to back them up, and this film has it all. Wes Bentley, who plays Eric’s best friend Michael, is the only supporting male in this film, but he does an amazing job in his role. Michael is a young, optimistic soldier with a passion for wars and joins the army to fight in it, but after getting injured in the attack he realizes that losing his life at a young age is not worth fighting for a war that has no cause, and throughout the rest of the film he fights for his life on his death bed with Eric by his side. However, his wife Clara and his young daughter Kelly doesn’t know about his incident or that he’s dying. Instead the two must deal with Saman. Clara, who is brilliantly played by Zooey Deschanel, is a loving young woman taking care of her daughter while her husband is away at war. When she received the news about Michael offering to let Saman stay in their home, her loving attitude begins to fade away. Once Saman arrives, Clara begins to treat her differently by locking her in the guest room after dinner is over and she treats her like dirt. At times she would bring her out of the house, but Saman faces hate almost everywhere she goes, and Clara is ignored by all due to her being with Saman. However, the only person in Amesbury to treat Saman with love and care is Kelly, the Dempseys’ daughter. On days when she’s bored or lonely, she would talk to Saman and treat her as if she was her best friend. During the film Kelly is Saman’s only friend, and she doesn’t take her for granted.
“Miles Away” is a powerful and moving war drama film that’ll leave many in tears and will once again establish Soderbergh as a great director. With it’s intense cast, hard-pounding script, clear camera work by Soderbergh, careful and detailed editing by Stephen Mirrione, and a sad but sweet harmonic score by Thomas Newman, this is a film that’s sure to sweep the Oscars in June.
For Your Consideration
Best Picture
Best Director – Steven Soderbergh
Best Actor in a Leading Role – Joaquin Phoenix
Best Actress in a Leading Role – Bahar Soomekh
Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Wes Bentley
Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Zooey Deschanel
Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Rhiannon Leigh Wryn
Best Original Screenplay
Miss Saigon
Author(s): Jeffrey (Long Island)
Miss Saigon
Directed by Ang Lee
Written by Bill Condon
Lea Salonga as Kim
Jonathan Pryce as Engineer
John Lloyd Young as Chris
Catherine Zeta-Jones as Ellen
Taye Diggs as Johnand
Laurie Cadevida as Gigi
Tagline: The heat is on in Saigon.
Synopsis: The Vietnam War is coming to an end. Kim, a Vietnamese bargirl at a club owned by a French-Vietnamese Engineer, gets ready to put on her first performance for the soon-departing American marines. Two of the marines are Chris and John, the latter of whom encourages Chris to persue one of the bargirls at the club. It is then that Kim and Chris meet for the first time. One of the bargirls, Gigi, wins the "Miss Saigon" raffling to one of the marines. When he refuses to take Gigi home to America with him, she and the other bargirls lament over their harsh lives in Vietnam and wish that they could go to America. John decides to buy a room for Chris and Kim from the Engineer, though Chris is reluctant to spend the night with her.
Chris and Kim develop a close bond that night and begin to fall in love, but Chris will be returning to America soon. Chris tries to buy Kim from the Engineer, who will only agree to let her go if he too can leave the country. After threatening the Engineer, Chris is allowed to take Kim to come to America with him. Kim is deemed by Gigi to be the real Miss Saigon and throws a fake wedding party for the lovers, but the party is interrupted by Kim's bethrothed cousin, Thuy. He has a confrontation with Chris and vows to take Kim from him.
3 years later. Chris is in America without Kim. He now has an American wife named Ellen who is haunted by his dreams of Kim at night. Simultaneously, Kim in Vientam and Ellen in America swear that they will be the true captors of Chris' heart. John works for an organization that tries to reunite American soldiers with their half-bred Vietnamese children, and is the bearer of ambivalent news for Chris when he informs him that she's still alive and living with his son, who she has named Tam. They reluctantly decide to tell Ellen about Kim and Ellen accompanies them to Bangkok, where Kim has relocated. Meanwhile, Thuy sends the Engineer to find Kim. Thuy's anger drives him to attept to kill Kim's son, but in a desperate attempt to save Tam, Kim shoots Thuy and begs the Engineer to help her. The Engineer decides to help Kim because it seems like a good way into America. Kim swears to her son that she will do all she can to protect him, even if it means giving up her own life.
John, Chris, and Ellen arrive in Bangkok days later. When John manages to track down Kim, she is overly enthusiastic about Chris having arrived and her emotion convinces John not to break the news of Chris' marriage to her. John promises that he will bring Chris to Kim, but the Engineer and the ghost of Thuy both contradict John in saying that Chris does not want to be with her anymore, and he will not come to see her unless she takes the initiative to see him. Kim has a flashback to the night that Chris left Saigon: amidst mass chaos and flustered Vietnamese refugees, the Americans are being transported by helicopter out of the city. Chris tries to take Kim with him; however the Vietnamese are being denied access. Chris and Kim are separated, and as the helicopter takes off, Kim cries out to Chris that she loves him, while he shouts back at her his own sorrows about leaving her in Saigon.
Kim and the Engineer are optimistic about living in America, but Kim's world is shattered when she embarks on her search for Chris and comes across Ellen instead. Ellen is sympathetic towards Kim, but is very clear in saying that Kim and Tam will not be returning with Chris to America, because Ellen is Chris' wife now. Kim leaves Ellen and finds the Engineer. She insists that they will make it to America, which brightens the Engineer's day and he makes preparations for his life in America. Back at Ellen and Chris' hotel rooom, Chris is mortified to hear of Kim's encounter with Ellen but ensures his wife that they will not be bringing Kim and Tam back with them to America.
Kim continues to lie to the Engineer about going to America, however he eventually finds out from Chris that this is in fact a lie. Before anybody can speak with her, Kim launches a plan that she has undoubtedly been considering all along: she wishes Tam a good life, and shoots herself with Chris' gun from 3 years ago. When they find her, Ellen and John are horrified and Chris is hysterical. Chris and Kim pledge their love to one another one last time, with Kim dying happily knowing that Chris will be forced to take her son with him back to America.
After Kim dies, Ellen is so distraught and destroyed with guilt that she agrees to take Tam with her and love him as her own son.
What The Press Would Say:
From martial arts to gay cowboys to espionage thriller to Jane Austen to the incredible Hulk, you might think that Ang Lee has done it all. Now there can be no doubt however; Ang Lee is the most versatile filmmaker working today. He has added a musical to his resumé- an extraordinary one at that. Ang Lee's "Miss Saigon" is the most emotional and heart-tugging film of the month. With the help of Bill Condon and a flawlessly talented (vocally and acting-wise) cast, Lee has crafted the most beautiful film in ages.
Musical fans will know "Miss Saigon" as the critically acclaimed Vietnam War musical featuring Lea Salonga and Jonathan Pryce in Tony Award-winning roles. Thankfully, due to Condon's miraculous script, Salonga and Pryce were able to reprise their roles in the feature film. Condon's screenplay is one of the most important contributors to the film's greatness. He has taken remarkable steps to ensure the realism and entertainment value of "Miss Saigon". His first step was to re-age the main characters to make the portrayals more realistic, avoiding the need to cast younger, inexperienced actors. Those problems had been seen with The Phantom of the Opera, and the reverse (keeping the age the same in the script, but casting older actors) contributed to the downfall of Rent. The removal of tedious songs and the translation of them into dialogue is an always-necessary component to movie musicals, and Condon has managed to do it without threatening the novelty of the story.
As a director, Ang Lee shines through in quite a foreign concept to him. But who could have been better for the job? Lee has done a superb job incoporating both Asian aspects into the Vietnam-themed musical and taking new artistic liberties. There is an evident but unseen natural chemistry between Lee and his cast in all films, and "Miss Saigon" is surely no exception. The fact that Lee's characters are so masterful in their approaches to the story shows Lee's expertise in direction.
Most people who know Lea Salonga know her as one of Broadway's biggest Asian stars (she won numerous awards for her work in "Miss Saigon" alone), the Phillippines' pride and joy, and the singing voice of Disney characters Mulan and Jasmine. Now however, she is sure to become a household name. Her performance as Kim is synonymous with perfection. Once you get over being blown away by her superior singing voice, you'll surely have to appreciate her subtle acting ability as well. "Miss Saigon" is sure to be Salonga's breakthrough as a filmstar, a deserved distinction for her. If anybody is the sure-fire favorite come awards time, it is sure to be Ms. Salonga.
Her male co-stars, John Lloyd Young and Jonathan Pryce, are surprisingly never overshadowed by Salonga throughout the film. Pryce is another musical legend who has already had his fair share of mainstream attention after his appearance in Pirates of the Caribbean. John Lloyd Young won a Tony Award for his work in Jersey Boys, but has now stepped into something completely different as Chris in "Miss Saigon". Young never misses a beat as a tormented, guilt-ridden Vietnam War veteran haunted by love and committment. Pryce also does not disappoint. His scenes of despair (and hope) and his constant ill-fated schemes are as admirable as they are ambiguously detestable. Pryce takes a character who could be viewed as villainous and unlikeable and makes him relateable and heartbreaking.
A strong supporting performance is given by big-name Taye Diggs. Diggs is gloriously believable, first as a raunchy soldier, then as a transformed, giving man. No doubt affected by the images of the Vietnamese people vying to get on the helicopter as it takes off, Diggs' character is a desireable role for an actor due to his status as one of the most dynamic and changed characters in the story. Zeta-Jones is strong and memorable as Young's stubborn wife who also experiences one of the most heart-felt and tearjerking changes when she accepts Kim's child into her family in spite of her initial reluctance. Having previously won an Academy Award for Chicago, Zeta-Jones is no stranger to movie musicals. It would be a crime to look over the brief Laurie Cadevida as well, whose raved performance in the Australian tour of "Miss Saigon" landed her the gut-wrenching film role of Gigi. Cadevida's role is short and sweet, but effective nonetheless. She plays her heartbreaking and frown inducing role so well that it's safe to say that she gives one of the best performances by a rising star this year.
"Miss Saigon" has all the characteristics of a box office and critical success. Tied in with its astoundingly deep music is a literary sensation. Ang Lee has become the captor of yet another movie genre: this time, the Asian-themed musical in Saigon.
For Your Consideration:
Best Picture
Best Director - Ang Lee
Best Actress - Lea Salonga
Best Actor - Jonathan Pryce
Best Supporting Actor - John Lloyd Young
Best Supporting Actor - Taye Diggs
Best Supporting Actress - Catherine Zeta-Jones
Best Supporting Actress - Laurie Cadevida
Best Adapted Screenplay - Bill Condon
Miss Saigon
Directed by Ang Lee
Written by Bill Condon
Lea Salonga as Kim
Jonathan Pryce as Engineer
John Lloyd Young as Chris
Catherine Zeta-Jones as Ellen
Taye Diggs as Johnand
Laurie Cadevida as Gigi
Tagline: The heat is on in Saigon.
Synopsis: The Vietnam War is coming to an end. Kim, a Vietnamese bargirl at a club owned by a French-Vietnamese Engineer, gets ready to put on her first performance for the soon-departing American marines. Two of the marines are Chris and John, the latter of whom encourages Chris to persue one of the bargirls at the club. It is then that Kim and Chris meet for the first time. One of the bargirls, Gigi, wins the "Miss Saigon" raffling to one of the marines. When he refuses to take Gigi home to America with him, she and the other bargirls lament over their harsh lives in Vietnam and wish that they could go to America. John decides to buy a room for Chris and Kim from the Engineer, though Chris is reluctant to spend the night with her.
Chris and Kim develop a close bond that night and begin to fall in love, but Chris will be returning to America soon. Chris tries to buy Kim from the Engineer, who will only agree to let her go if he too can leave the country. After threatening the Engineer, Chris is allowed to take Kim to come to America with him. Kim is deemed by Gigi to be the real Miss Saigon and throws a fake wedding party for the lovers, but the party is interrupted by Kim's bethrothed cousin, Thuy. He has a confrontation with Chris and vows to take Kim from him.
3 years later. Chris is in America without Kim. He now has an American wife named Ellen who is haunted by his dreams of Kim at night. Simultaneously, Kim in Vientam and Ellen in America swear that they will be the true captors of Chris' heart. John works for an organization that tries to reunite American soldiers with their half-bred Vietnamese children, and is the bearer of ambivalent news for Chris when he informs him that she's still alive and living with his son, who she has named Tam. They reluctantly decide to tell Ellen about Kim and Ellen accompanies them to Bangkok, where Kim has relocated. Meanwhile, Thuy sends the Engineer to find Kim. Thuy's anger drives him to attept to kill Kim's son, but in a desperate attempt to save Tam, Kim shoots Thuy and begs the Engineer to help her. The Engineer decides to help Kim because it seems like a good way into America. Kim swears to her son that she will do all she can to protect him, even if it means giving up her own life.
John, Chris, and Ellen arrive in Bangkok days later. When John manages to track down Kim, she is overly enthusiastic about Chris having arrived and her emotion convinces John not to break the news of Chris' marriage to her. John promises that he will bring Chris to Kim, but the Engineer and the ghost of Thuy both contradict John in saying that Chris does not want to be with her anymore, and he will not come to see her unless she takes the initiative to see him. Kim has a flashback to the night that Chris left Saigon: amidst mass chaos and flustered Vietnamese refugees, the Americans are being transported by helicopter out of the city. Chris tries to take Kim with him; however the Vietnamese are being denied access. Chris and Kim are separated, and as the helicopter takes off, Kim cries out to Chris that she loves him, while he shouts back at her his own sorrows about leaving her in Saigon.
Kim and the Engineer are optimistic about living in America, but Kim's world is shattered when she embarks on her search for Chris and comes across Ellen instead. Ellen is sympathetic towards Kim, but is very clear in saying that Kim and Tam will not be returning with Chris to America, because Ellen is Chris' wife now. Kim leaves Ellen and finds the Engineer. She insists that they will make it to America, which brightens the Engineer's day and he makes preparations for his life in America. Back at Ellen and Chris' hotel rooom, Chris is mortified to hear of Kim's encounter with Ellen but ensures his wife that they will not be bringing Kim and Tam back with them to America.
Kim continues to lie to the Engineer about going to America, however he eventually finds out from Chris that this is in fact a lie. Before anybody can speak with her, Kim launches a plan that she has undoubtedly been considering all along: she wishes Tam a good life, and shoots herself with Chris' gun from 3 years ago. When they find her, Ellen and John are horrified and Chris is hysterical. Chris and Kim pledge their love to one another one last time, with Kim dying happily knowing that Chris will be forced to take her son with him back to America.
After Kim dies, Ellen is so distraught and destroyed with guilt that she agrees to take Tam with her and love him as her own son.
What The Press Would Say:
From martial arts to gay cowboys to espionage thriller to Jane Austen to the incredible Hulk, you might think that Ang Lee has done it all. Now there can be no doubt however; Ang Lee is the most versatile filmmaker working today. He has added a musical to his resumé- an extraordinary one at that. Ang Lee's "Miss Saigon" is the most emotional and heart-tugging film of the month. With the help of Bill Condon and a flawlessly talented (vocally and acting-wise) cast, Lee has crafted the most beautiful film in ages.
Musical fans will know "Miss Saigon" as the critically acclaimed Vietnam War musical featuring Lea Salonga and Jonathan Pryce in Tony Award-winning roles. Thankfully, due to Condon's miraculous script, Salonga and Pryce were able to reprise their roles in the feature film. Condon's screenplay is one of the most important contributors to the film's greatness. He has taken remarkable steps to ensure the realism and entertainment value of "Miss Saigon". His first step was to re-age the main characters to make the portrayals more realistic, avoiding the need to cast younger, inexperienced actors. Those problems had been seen with The Phantom of the Opera, and the reverse (keeping the age the same in the script, but casting older actors) contributed to the downfall of Rent. The removal of tedious songs and the translation of them into dialogue is an always-necessary component to movie musicals, and Condon has managed to do it without threatening the novelty of the story.
As a director, Ang Lee shines through in quite a foreign concept to him. But who could have been better for the job? Lee has done a superb job incoporating both Asian aspects into the Vietnam-themed musical and taking new artistic liberties. There is an evident but unseen natural chemistry between Lee and his cast in all films, and "Miss Saigon" is surely no exception. The fact that Lee's characters are so masterful in their approaches to the story shows Lee's expertise in direction.
Most people who know Lea Salonga know her as one of Broadway's biggest Asian stars (she won numerous awards for her work in "Miss Saigon" alone), the Phillippines' pride and joy, and the singing voice of Disney characters Mulan and Jasmine. Now however, she is sure to become a household name. Her performance as Kim is synonymous with perfection. Once you get over being blown away by her superior singing voice, you'll surely have to appreciate her subtle acting ability as well. "Miss Saigon" is sure to be Salonga's breakthrough as a filmstar, a deserved distinction for her. If anybody is the sure-fire favorite come awards time, it is sure to be Ms. Salonga.
Her male co-stars, John Lloyd Young and Jonathan Pryce, are surprisingly never overshadowed by Salonga throughout the film. Pryce is another musical legend who has already had his fair share of mainstream attention after his appearance in Pirates of the Caribbean. John Lloyd Young won a Tony Award for his work in Jersey Boys, but has now stepped into something completely different as Chris in "Miss Saigon". Young never misses a beat as a tormented, guilt-ridden Vietnam War veteran haunted by love and committment. Pryce also does not disappoint. His scenes of despair (and hope) and his constant ill-fated schemes are as admirable as they are ambiguously detestable. Pryce takes a character who could be viewed as villainous and unlikeable and makes him relateable and heartbreaking.
A strong supporting performance is given by big-name Taye Diggs. Diggs is gloriously believable, first as a raunchy soldier, then as a transformed, giving man. No doubt affected by the images of the Vietnamese people vying to get on the helicopter as it takes off, Diggs' character is a desireable role for an actor due to his status as one of the most dynamic and changed characters in the story. Zeta-Jones is strong and memorable as Young's stubborn wife who also experiences one of the most heart-felt and tearjerking changes when she accepts Kim's child into her family in spite of her initial reluctance. Having previously won an Academy Award for Chicago, Zeta-Jones is no stranger to movie musicals. It would be a crime to look over the brief Laurie Cadevida as well, whose raved performance in the Australian tour of "Miss Saigon" landed her the gut-wrenching film role of Gigi. Cadevida's role is short and sweet, but effective nonetheless. She plays her heartbreaking and frown inducing role so well that it's safe to say that she gives one of the best performances by a rising star this year.
"Miss Saigon" has all the characteristics of a box office and critical success. Tied in with its astoundingly deep music is a literary sensation. Ang Lee has become the captor of yet another movie genre: this time, the Asian-themed musical in Saigon.
For Your Consideration:
Best Picture
Best Director - Ang Lee
Best Actress - Lea Salonga
Best Actor - Jonathan Pryce
Best Supporting Actor - John Lloyd Young
Best Supporting Actor - Taye Diggs
Best Supporting Actress - Catherine Zeta-Jones
Best Supporting Actress - Laurie Cadevida
Best Adapted Screenplay - Bill Condon
Nothing of Importance Happened Here
Author(s): Ryan (N/A)
Nothing of Importance Happened Here
Directed by Ivan Reitman
Written by Ivan Reitman
Music by Rolfe Kent
Principal Cast:
Tom Hanks (Tom Daley)
Meg Tilly (Elizabeth Daley)
Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Alexis Daley)
Julianna Margulies (Samantha Tyler)
Alfre Woodard (Marcie Reynolds)
Vanessa Williams (Candice Price)
Mark Wahlberg (Christopher Weaver)
Queen Latifah (Betty Allen)
Morgan Freeman (Samuel Davis)
Tagline: "History is hard to find, but easy to make up."
Synopsis: In Philadelphia you can walk from Betsy Ross’ house to the Liberty Bell to Independence Hall in less than five minutes. In between the locations is the Daley house. Nothing of importance happened there. Countless tour buses and groups walk right by the Daley’s front door everyday to snap photos of the landmarks, but seem to miss Elizabeth (Meg Tilly) watering the plants or husband Tom (Tom Hanks) fetching the Philadelphia Inquirer.
As the couple nears retirement, the housing market has crashed and their real estate taxes have skyrocketed. They are to sell their house to move to a quainter town as their daughter, Alexis (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) has flown the coop; the house is too big and has too much maintenance for just the two of them.
Graduated from law school, Alexis has got a high-paying job at the prestigious firm, Weaver (Mark Wahlberg) & Allen (Queen Latifah).
As money woes are getting tighter and potential buyers of their house are getting fewer, Tom hatches an idea after walking around his historical block. Claim that the house is a historical landmark. Located on one of the busiest streets in the city, Elizabeth reluctantly agrees in their dishonest venture. They decide on declaring their house as a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Enlisting their daughter to forge the documents and legal work, their plan is set to dramatically cut their costs of living and largely increase the chances of potential buyers. However, the city’s historical curator, Samantha Tyler (Julianna Margulies), smells something fishy. Sending the documents that the Daley’s claimed to find in the attic to a lab, forensic director Marcie Reynolds (Alfre Woodard) tells Tom and Elizabeth she knows the truth and that she won’t tell anyone unless she gets a share of the profits in what she considers the greatest and most ingenious scam of the century.
However, as the tourists and boatloads of cash flow in, so do Historians and history teachers like Samuel Davis (Morgan Freeman) with their classes, prompting the Daley’s to tell more and more lies till they can’t remember fact from fiction. Also, Candice Price (Vanessa Williams), a fellow Historical Landmark owner down the street, is now losing business while wising up to the Daley’s scheme.
As Tom fears that they have gone too far, in a change of heart, Elizabeth is putting on lavish events in greed and attention, bringing history to life, literally, in reenactments. Losing sight of their goal of selling their house, they are becoming more and more attached to it. Not to mention, the documents that Alexis keeps on forging in the firm, bosses Chris and Betty can’t help but find out what is going on, in a film that proves that history certainly writes its self.
What the press would say:
“Two thumbs WAY up!”-Ebert & Roeper
“Something of Importance did happen here. A comedy with depth and emotion in one of the most satisfying and compelling films in recent memory!”- People
“A+! Side-splittingly, laugh-until-you-are-blue-in-the-face hilarious!”-Entertainment Weekly
“Meg Tilly makes her welcome and needed comeback, Winstead proves herself and Tom Hanks is once again amazing. What a family…”-Rolling Stone Magazine
NOTHING OF IMPORTANCE HAPPENED HERE is one of those rare critic, family, box office and audience friendly comedies; Fox Searchlight has certainly found another winner. Somewhat wacky but leveled, funny yet relatable and most important, dimensional, NOTHING OF IMPORTANCE HAPPENED HERE is truly a landmark film.
Tom Hanks finds himself in a comedic role which is a welcome change as he brings his A-game and impeccable timing as Tom, a character that is in it for the short-run and convinces his wife into the concept until she turns the tables on him, making their scam into something much larger than imagined. Hanks is witty and greedy, but relatable with the reasons behind the scheme something that is plaguing everyone across the country. Not getting too political, the film brings up some points in a funny, yet nicely toned manner. Academy Award nominee Meg Tilly is brilliantly casted and still knows how to act luminously even after a decade plus hiatus. Fitting the character like a glove, Tilly shows real emotion. The smart script allows Tilly to make a slow transition from cautious of the scheme to enjoying it to loving it to the point of living it in one of the biggest character personality changes in movie history. Unbelievably greedy at points, Tilly is likable when needed which makes her a success.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead who has been rising for quite some time finally gets the role needed to truly breakout with a stunning performance. Winstead holds her ground against screen legend Hanks. Neutral of the scheme, Winstead’s character only tries helping her parents after they helped her. However, when she realizes the risks, her morals fail her. Julianna Margulies also gets a role where she should get the attention she deserves after flying under the radar for many years.
Alfre Woodard is convincing as the forensics detective who needs extra cash to support her family in a world where it costs over four dollars a gallon for gas in a film that also hints on the crazy economy. Woodard is in it for the money, but also realizes that money isn’t the most important thing in life and becomes a confidant to Hank’s character. In a smaller, but memorable part, Vanessa Williams is put in a fun role that reminds us how much we all missed her filling up the silver screen. Williams is in a villainous role trying to unearth the scheme with a big nasty grin on her face.
After some alright films, director Ivan Reitman steals the spotlight from his son, Jason, making another classic comedy. Ivan uses more natural angles to help bring a sense of reality to the film as well as shooting the film where it really takes place. His script is smart and intelligent and just like the scheme, ingenious! Rolfe Kent sets a fun musical tone instead of using popular songs like so many comedies do nowadays in lieu of a traditional score.
All-around applauded; NOTHING OF IMPORTANCE HAPPENED HERE is certainly the movie of the year with audience and critic approval.
Best Picture
Best Director: Ivan Reitman
Best Screenplay: Ivan Reitman
Best Original Score: Rolfe Kent
Best Actor: Tom Hanks
Best Actress: Meg Tilly
Best Supporting Actress: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Julianna Margulies, Alfre Woodard, Vanessa Williams
Nothing of Importance Happened Here
Directed by Ivan Reitman
Written by Ivan Reitman
Music by Rolfe Kent
Principal Cast:
Tom Hanks (Tom Daley)
Meg Tilly (Elizabeth Daley)
Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Alexis Daley)
Julianna Margulies (Samantha Tyler)
Alfre Woodard (Marcie Reynolds)
Vanessa Williams (Candice Price)
Mark Wahlberg (Christopher Weaver)
Queen Latifah (Betty Allen)
Morgan Freeman (Samuel Davis)
Tagline: "History is hard to find, but easy to make up."
Synopsis: In Philadelphia you can walk from Betsy Ross’ house to the Liberty Bell to Independence Hall in less than five minutes. In between the locations is the Daley house. Nothing of importance happened there. Countless tour buses and groups walk right by the Daley’s front door everyday to snap photos of the landmarks, but seem to miss Elizabeth (Meg Tilly) watering the plants or husband Tom (Tom Hanks) fetching the Philadelphia Inquirer.
As the couple nears retirement, the housing market has crashed and their real estate taxes have skyrocketed. They are to sell their house to move to a quainter town as their daughter, Alexis (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) has flown the coop; the house is too big and has too much maintenance for just the two of them.
Graduated from law school, Alexis has got a high-paying job at the prestigious firm, Weaver (Mark Wahlberg) & Allen (Queen Latifah).
As money woes are getting tighter and potential buyers of their house are getting fewer, Tom hatches an idea after walking around his historical block. Claim that the house is a historical landmark. Located on one of the busiest streets in the city, Elizabeth reluctantly agrees in their dishonest venture. They decide on declaring their house as a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Enlisting their daughter to forge the documents and legal work, their plan is set to dramatically cut their costs of living and largely increase the chances of potential buyers. However, the city’s historical curator, Samantha Tyler (Julianna Margulies), smells something fishy. Sending the documents that the Daley’s claimed to find in the attic to a lab, forensic director Marcie Reynolds (Alfre Woodard) tells Tom and Elizabeth she knows the truth and that she won’t tell anyone unless she gets a share of the profits in what she considers the greatest and most ingenious scam of the century.
However, as the tourists and boatloads of cash flow in, so do Historians and history teachers like Samuel Davis (Morgan Freeman) with their classes, prompting the Daley’s to tell more and more lies till they can’t remember fact from fiction. Also, Candice Price (Vanessa Williams), a fellow Historical Landmark owner down the street, is now losing business while wising up to the Daley’s scheme.
As Tom fears that they have gone too far, in a change of heart, Elizabeth is putting on lavish events in greed and attention, bringing history to life, literally, in reenactments. Losing sight of their goal of selling their house, they are becoming more and more attached to it. Not to mention, the documents that Alexis keeps on forging in the firm, bosses Chris and Betty can’t help but find out what is going on, in a film that proves that history certainly writes its self.
What the press would say:
“Two thumbs WAY up!”-Ebert & Roeper
“Something of Importance did happen here. A comedy with depth and emotion in one of the most satisfying and compelling films in recent memory!”- People
“A+! Side-splittingly, laugh-until-you-are-blue-in-the-face hilarious!”-Entertainment Weekly
“Meg Tilly makes her welcome and needed comeback, Winstead proves herself and Tom Hanks is once again amazing. What a family…”-Rolling Stone Magazine
NOTHING OF IMPORTANCE HAPPENED HERE is one of those rare critic, family, box office and audience friendly comedies; Fox Searchlight has certainly found another winner. Somewhat wacky but leveled, funny yet relatable and most important, dimensional, NOTHING OF IMPORTANCE HAPPENED HERE is truly a landmark film.
Tom Hanks finds himself in a comedic role which is a welcome change as he brings his A-game and impeccable timing as Tom, a character that is in it for the short-run and convinces his wife into the concept until she turns the tables on him, making their scam into something much larger than imagined. Hanks is witty and greedy, but relatable with the reasons behind the scheme something that is plaguing everyone across the country. Not getting too political, the film brings up some points in a funny, yet nicely toned manner. Academy Award nominee Meg Tilly is brilliantly casted and still knows how to act luminously even after a decade plus hiatus. Fitting the character like a glove, Tilly shows real emotion. The smart script allows Tilly to make a slow transition from cautious of the scheme to enjoying it to loving it to the point of living it in one of the biggest character personality changes in movie history. Unbelievably greedy at points, Tilly is likable when needed which makes her a success.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead who has been rising for quite some time finally gets the role needed to truly breakout with a stunning performance. Winstead holds her ground against screen legend Hanks. Neutral of the scheme, Winstead’s character only tries helping her parents after they helped her. However, when she realizes the risks, her morals fail her. Julianna Margulies also gets a role where she should get the attention she deserves after flying under the radar for many years.
Alfre Woodard is convincing as the forensics detective who needs extra cash to support her family in a world where it costs over four dollars a gallon for gas in a film that also hints on the crazy economy. Woodard is in it for the money, but also realizes that money isn’t the most important thing in life and becomes a confidant to Hank’s character. In a smaller, but memorable part, Vanessa Williams is put in a fun role that reminds us how much we all missed her filling up the silver screen. Williams is in a villainous role trying to unearth the scheme with a big nasty grin on her face.
After some alright films, director Ivan Reitman steals the spotlight from his son, Jason, making another classic comedy. Ivan uses more natural angles to help bring a sense of reality to the film as well as shooting the film where it really takes place. His script is smart and intelligent and just like the scheme, ingenious! Rolfe Kent sets a fun musical tone instead of using popular songs like so many comedies do nowadays in lieu of a traditional score.
All-around applauded; NOTHING OF IMPORTANCE HAPPENED HERE is certainly the movie of the year with audience and critic approval.
Best Picture
Best Director: Ivan Reitman
Best Screenplay: Ivan Reitman
Best Original Score: Rolfe Kent
Best Actor: Tom Hanks
Best Actress: Meg Tilly
Best Supporting Actress: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Julianna Margulies, Alfre Woodard, Vanessa Williams
The People vs. Robert Wheeler
Author(s): Ryne (Portland)
The People vs. Robert Wheeler
Directed by Jim Sheridan
Written by Brian Koppelman
Cast:
Brad Pitt as Robert Wheeler
Jeff Goldblum as Will Emmerich
Jada Pinkett Smith as D.A. Carol Penn
Zooey Deschanel as Kate Larken
Michael Shannon as Det. Josh Parish
Albert Finney as Judge Stanley Wallace
Tagline:
"The People Prosecuted Him. He Knows the Truth"
Synopsis: Robert Wheeler (Pitt) has been charged with the first degree murder of police officer Stan Marx after Marx pulled him over for speeding. It is said that Wheeler pulled a gun and shot the officer, who was working alone that early Tuesday morning, twice; once in the stomach and the second in the chest. The only problem is Robert Wheeler did not kill the officer, he was not even pulled over by Marx early that morning, and his charismatic defense attorney Will Emmerich (Goldblum) hopes to prove that.
Wheeler, a working class high school teacher, says he remembers little about the night in question, but he knows that he did not kill Stan Marx. District Attorney Carol Penn (Pinkett Smith) believes all the evidence found points to Wheeler as the murderer of a local hero and she plans to prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law.
The principal witness Kate Larkin (Deschanel) says she was driving down Huntington Rd. at about 2:47 A.M when she saw a man in his mid-40s roughly 5' 10" with the same build as Wheeler step out of a silver Honda and point a gun at the officer approaching the vehicle. She pulled around the corner and called 911. Larkin admits it was still dark out when she witnessed the murder so she was never able to a good view of the murderer's face. Detective Josh Parish (Shannon) was the first to report to the crime scene and find Stan Marx dead. He testifies that later Tuesday afternoon, he found Robert Wheeler in a local park about a mile from the crime scene passed out in the bushes with a Bersa Thunder .380 automatic pistol in his coat pocket. It is interesting that no prints were found on the weapon, however, given Wheeler's condition at the time. The bullets were traced back the gun in Wheeler's pocket though.
Throughout the witness process, Robert Wheeler begins to remember. Flashes first, slowly becoming into real memories. Will Emmerich motions for a recess while his client searches his mind for these memories. Judge Stanley Wallace (Finney) grants the motion despite Carol Penn's objection. Court will resumes the next day at 10 A.M, but will there be any new witnesses to call to the stand in defense of Robert Wheeler.
It is a case that will go down in history. It will skyrocket the carrier of one lawyer and mark the end to an admirable carrier of a judge. It is a case that will affect many people and captivate a nation. Ultimately, everyone will always remember The People vs. Robert Wheeler.
What the Press would say:
Brilliant! The People vs. Robert Wheeler succeeds on every level from the smallest word in the gritty dialogue to the amazing performance of the ensemble cast. It is a modern-day masterpiece and the best film of the year. Set mainly in the courtroom with few other locations and incorporated with flashbacks the different characters interact with one another so well that the audience feels this story is real life and that is the essence of what a courtroom drama should be. It immerses the audience from start to finish and never lets go. Brad Pitt gives an outstanding performance as the accused Robert Wheeler. He throws himself into this role and portrays Wheeler's confusion and helplessness perfectly. As Wheeler's memory slowly begins to retrieve information, the audience is shocked by what he remembers. I will not spoil it for those yet to see it though. Playing Wheeler's defense attorney is Jeff Goldblum who gives the performance of his carrier. Goldblum once again steals every scene he is in and makes the audience fall in love with his character's drive to acquit Robert Wheeler. Will Emmerich is a fun-loving man at heart, but when it is time to get serious, he goes to work and does it superbly. Jada Pinkett Smith gives an Oscar worthy performance as District Attorney Carol Penn. Being a female in a dominantly male profession, Carol Penn is unsure of herself and her abilities, but hides it and only lets it out when she is alone. Pinkett Smith capitalizes on this vulnerability to give one hell of a performance. Zooey Deschanel, Michael Shannon, and Albert Finney take a back seat to give great complementing performances that allow the main actors to shine. These three truly help encompass the idea of an ensemble. Brian Koppelman's smart-as-a-whip screenplay is some the best dialogue seen in movies in the past decade. It keeps the audience of the edge of their seat craving for more and he writes a perfect ending for this film: not clichéd, yet not boring. Only the word "Excellent" can describe it. Overall, The People vs. Robert Wheeler is an intelligent courtroom drama that is sure to win many awards come awards season.
FYI:
Best Picture
Best Director (Jim Sheridan)
Best Actor (Brad Pitt)
Best Supporting Actor (Jeff Goldblum)
Best Supporting Actress (Jada Pinkett Smith)
Best Original Screenplay
The People vs. Robert Wheeler
Directed by Jim Sheridan
Written by Brian Koppelman
Cast:
Brad Pitt as Robert Wheeler
Jeff Goldblum as Will Emmerich
Jada Pinkett Smith as D.A. Carol Penn
Zooey Deschanel as Kate Larken
Michael Shannon as Det. Josh Parish
Albert Finney as Judge Stanley Wallace
Tagline:
"The People Prosecuted Him. He Knows the Truth"
Synopsis: Robert Wheeler (Pitt) has been charged with the first degree murder of police officer Stan Marx after Marx pulled him over for speeding. It is said that Wheeler pulled a gun and shot the officer, who was working alone that early Tuesday morning, twice; once in the stomach and the second in the chest. The only problem is Robert Wheeler did not kill the officer, he was not even pulled over by Marx early that morning, and his charismatic defense attorney Will Emmerich (Goldblum) hopes to prove that.
Wheeler, a working class high school teacher, says he remembers little about the night in question, but he knows that he did not kill Stan Marx. District Attorney Carol Penn (Pinkett Smith) believes all the evidence found points to Wheeler as the murderer of a local hero and she plans to prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law.
The principal witness Kate Larkin (Deschanel) says she was driving down Huntington Rd. at about 2:47 A.M when she saw a man in his mid-40s roughly 5' 10" with the same build as Wheeler step out of a silver Honda and point a gun at the officer approaching the vehicle. She pulled around the corner and called 911. Larkin admits it was still dark out when she witnessed the murder so she was never able to a good view of the murderer's face. Detective Josh Parish (Shannon) was the first to report to the crime scene and find Stan Marx dead. He testifies that later Tuesday afternoon, he found Robert Wheeler in a local park about a mile from the crime scene passed out in the bushes with a Bersa Thunder .380 automatic pistol in his coat pocket. It is interesting that no prints were found on the weapon, however, given Wheeler's condition at the time. The bullets were traced back the gun in Wheeler's pocket though.
Throughout the witness process, Robert Wheeler begins to remember. Flashes first, slowly becoming into real memories. Will Emmerich motions for a recess while his client searches his mind for these memories. Judge Stanley Wallace (Finney) grants the motion despite Carol Penn's objection. Court will resumes the next day at 10 A.M, but will there be any new witnesses to call to the stand in defense of Robert Wheeler.
It is a case that will go down in history. It will skyrocket the carrier of one lawyer and mark the end to an admirable carrier of a judge. It is a case that will affect many people and captivate a nation. Ultimately, everyone will always remember The People vs. Robert Wheeler.
What the Press would say:
Brilliant! The People vs. Robert Wheeler succeeds on every level from the smallest word in the gritty dialogue to the amazing performance of the ensemble cast. It is a modern-day masterpiece and the best film of the year. Set mainly in the courtroom with few other locations and incorporated with flashbacks the different characters interact with one another so well that the audience feels this story is real life and that is the essence of what a courtroom drama should be. It immerses the audience from start to finish and never lets go. Brad Pitt gives an outstanding performance as the accused Robert Wheeler. He throws himself into this role and portrays Wheeler's confusion and helplessness perfectly. As Wheeler's memory slowly begins to retrieve information, the audience is shocked by what he remembers. I will not spoil it for those yet to see it though. Playing Wheeler's defense attorney is Jeff Goldblum who gives the performance of his carrier. Goldblum once again steals every scene he is in and makes the audience fall in love with his character's drive to acquit Robert Wheeler. Will Emmerich is a fun-loving man at heart, but when it is time to get serious, he goes to work and does it superbly. Jada Pinkett Smith gives an Oscar worthy performance as District Attorney Carol Penn. Being a female in a dominantly male profession, Carol Penn is unsure of herself and her abilities, but hides it and only lets it out when she is alone. Pinkett Smith capitalizes on this vulnerability to give one hell of a performance. Zooey Deschanel, Michael Shannon, and Albert Finney take a back seat to give great complementing performances that allow the main actors to shine. These three truly help encompass the idea of an ensemble. Brian Koppelman's smart-as-a-whip screenplay is some the best dialogue seen in movies in the past decade. It keeps the audience of the edge of their seat craving for more and he writes a perfect ending for this film: not clichéd, yet not boring. Only the word "Excellent" can describe it. Overall, The People vs. Robert Wheeler is an intelligent courtroom drama that is sure to win many awards come awards season.
FYI:
Best Picture
Best Director (Jim Sheridan)
Best Actor (Brad Pitt)
Best Supporting Actor (Jeff Goldblum)
Best Supporting Actress (Jada Pinkett Smith)
Best Original Screenplay
The Poisonwood Bible
Author(s): Brian (AZ)
The Poisonwood Bible
Directed by Fernando Meirelles
Written by Eric Roth
Produced by Fernando Meirelles, Steven Spielberg & Brian Grazer
Music by Howard Shore
Based on the Novel by Barbara Kingsolver
Main Cast
Toni Collette (Orleanna Price)
Russell Crowe (Nathan Price)
Chiwitel Ejiofor (Anatole Ngemba)
Saoirse Ronan (Leah Price/Adah Price)
Kristen Stewart (Rachel Price)
Chloe Moretz (Ruth May Price)
Tagline: “A Family of God. A Life of Sin.”
Synopsis: Orleanna Price was blinded on her wedding day. Not blinded in the sense that she could not see anymore, per se, but in the sense that she could not see anything beyond her husband’s orders. Her husband, Nathan, is a man of the lord, and absolutely nothing else. He spends his life worshipping God and interrogating those who do not. A Baptist minister of fifteen years, Nathan was assigned a mission no one else would dream of taking: a one-year stay in the Belgian Congo in Africa in order to convert the locals. Orleanna encourages this entirely, and takes their four daughters—the twins Leah and Adah (who has a minor case of mental retardation), Rachel and Ruth May. Not all of them would return.
Upon their arrival in the Congo, the Prices were greeted by Anatole Ngemba. He was one of the few people in the region that spoke English, and would serve as the girls’ tutor. It does not take long for the family to discover what life is like in the Congo. There is no government; no regulations; nothing. Simply leaving one’s area is enough to put one’s life at risk.
During the day, Nathan would go out to talk to natives about his faith, the girls would go to school with Anatole, and Orleanna would stay in their area and keep house, just as she did at home. As always, however, the schedule did not work perfectly. After schooling, the girls would sometimes sneak out and explore the area, which would prove to be more and more dangerous every day. And, when Orleanna ignores their fears so as to satisfy her husband, the girls turn to Anatole as a parental figure, who, alongside the rest of the host tribe, are beginning to turn on the Prices. Orleanna, however, is too blinded to realize this, while Nathan simply does not care. The children begin to notice that the tone between the family and the tribe has grown into something less-than-friendly, but are too afraid to do anything about it, as they fear it will clash with their parents’. With this false sense of security, Nathan continually makes advances on the natives about the tribe’s faith in Christianity, which only isolates them further. Nathan neglects the harm he is doing to his family, and the fact that he is residing in an incredibly dangerous place. But he is so far beyond caring about the welfare of others or even himself: his life is devoted to his faith. In fact, it wasn’t even about faith anymore. It was about influence. As Orleanna starts to take notice of the intense negativity from the natives and the life-threatening activity that occurs in simple daily life, she feels a sense of discontentment towards her husband’s sense of judgment that she has never felt before. She does her best to mask this, as she has done with every other emotion since she married Nathan, but as things become grittier and grittier, that becomes increasingly impossible.
Throughout the year, the family would face devastation, fallout and, for some, even death. How much will it take for Orleanna to finally rise above her husband? What will Nathan do to keep order and strict religion in his family? Everything unfolds in “The Poisonwood Bible.”
What the Press Would Say:
Fernando Meirelles’ adaptation of Barbara Kingsolver’s bestselling novel The Poisonwood Bible is, and I say this with no exaggeration whatsoever, the most tragic film I have ever seen. But it’s also one of the most uplifting. And most captivating. And most beautiful. And most disturbing. It is, flat out, one of the best films I have seen this decade.
But what, exactly, can I attribute the film’s triumph to? Numerous things, really. First of all, the absolutely flawless performances from everyone in the ensemble cast. Rising star Chiwetel Ejiofor delivers a moving, entirely convincing performance as the Price girls’ tutor, and their only contact with the outside world, and “Atonement” teen Saoirse Ronan brings an emotional, very impressive performance to the table—as do her siblings, portrayed by Kristen Stewart and Chloe Moretz. But still, the real amazement on the acting front is the performances by the two leads, Toni Collette and Russell Crowe. Typically, I would talk about the lesser performance first and the superior one second, but it’s simply impossible to pick a favorite between the two. So instead, I will talk about them as a whole. Collette and Crowe put an incredible amount of trust in one another in their acting. In the beginning of the film, both of them have their values and beliefs completely set in stone. However, as the movie progresses, Collette’s character, Orleanna, gradually begins to question her husband as the mission grows worse and worse. Crowe, on the other hand, refuses to change. When these two ideals clash, as they do especially towards the end of the film, sparks fly off the screen. It is simply irrational to suppose that a viewer won’t be moved in the scene where Collette discusses her strife about her daughters’ loss of innocence, while Crowe remains stern and unsympathetic. I can confidently say that these are genuinely sublime performances, and that these two will be major threats come Oscar season.
As we know, good performances simply do not occur without solid direction, so we know for a fact that Fernando Meirelles did this film justice. The quality of his direction, however, goes well beyond creating great performances. Take, for instance, the now famous scene involving flesh-eating ants (yes, you know which one I’m talking about). The scene begins in a tight shot with music so soft you can barely hear it serenading in the background, and by the conclusion of the scene, we view an extremely wide shot with a thunderous overture. And then, in the very next scene, we view a chillingly loveless confrontation between the daughters and their mother (another one of Collette’s best moments). About half of the film’s scenes are sweeping and epic, while the other half are intimate and emotional, and Meirelles knows exactly what he’s doing for each style.
A less-than-skilled screenwriter may take Barbara Kingsolver’s amazing novel and use it as an excuse to be, for lack of a better word, lazy, when writing the adaptation. Fortunately, this was not the case for Eric Roth when he was writing “The Poisonwood Bible.” No, instead, he took advantage of the book’s incredibly complex characters and multi-dimensional events. Much to his credit, none of the dialogue is copied directly from the novel, however it feels so realistic, one feels it must be. Roth treated the screenplay very seriously and did something inarguably powerful with it.
“The Poisonwood Bible” is more than the best film of the year; it’s an emotional and powerful event. On every front, from acting, to writing, to direction, to general quality, “The Poisonwood Bible” is a complete and utter masterpiece.
FYC:
Best Picture
Best Director (Fernando Meirelles)
Best Actor (Russell Crowe)
Best Actress (Toni Collette)
Best Adapted Screenplay
The Poisonwood Bible
Directed by Fernando Meirelles
Written by Eric Roth
Produced by Fernando Meirelles, Steven Spielberg & Brian Grazer
Music by Howard Shore
Based on the Novel by Barbara Kingsolver
Main Cast
Toni Collette (Orleanna Price)
Russell Crowe (Nathan Price)
Chiwitel Ejiofor (Anatole Ngemba)
Saoirse Ronan (Leah Price/Adah Price)
Kristen Stewart (Rachel Price)
Chloe Moretz (Ruth May Price)
Tagline: “A Family of God. A Life of Sin.”
Synopsis: Orleanna Price was blinded on her wedding day. Not blinded in the sense that she could not see anymore, per se, but in the sense that she could not see anything beyond her husband’s orders. Her husband, Nathan, is a man of the lord, and absolutely nothing else. He spends his life worshipping God and interrogating those who do not. A Baptist minister of fifteen years, Nathan was assigned a mission no one else would dream of taking: a one-year stay in the Belgian Congo in Africa in order to convert the locals. Orleanna encourages this entirely, and takes their four daughters—the twins Leah and Adah (who has a minor case of mental retardation), Rachel and Ruth May. Not all of them would return.
Upon their arrival in the Congo, the Prices were greeted by Anatole Ngemba. He was one of the few people in the region that spoke English, and would serve as the girls’ tutor. It does not take long for the family to discover what life is like in the Congo. There is no government; no regulations; nothing. Simply leaving one’s area is enough to put one’s life at risk.
During the day, Nathan would go out to talk to natives about his faith, the girls would go to school with Anatole, and Orleanna would stay in their area and keep house, just as she did at home. As always, however, the schedule did not work perfectly. After schooling, the girls would sometimes sneak out and explore the area, which would prove to be more and more dangerous every day. And, when Orleanna ignores their fears so as to satisfy her husband, the girls turn to Anatole as a parental figure, who, alongside the rest of the host tribe, are beginning to turn on the Prices. Orleanna, however, is too blinded to realize this, while Nathan simply does not care. The children begin to notice that the tone between the family and the tribe has grown into something less-than-friendly, but are too afraid to do anything about it, as they fear it will clash with their parents’. With this false sense of security, Nathan continually makes advances on the natives about the tribe’s faith in Christianity, which only isolates them further. Nathan neglects the harm he is doing to his family, and the fact that he is residing in an incredibly dangerous place. But he is so far beyond caring about the welfare of others or even himself: his life is devoted to his faith. In fact, it wasn’t even about faith anymore. It was about influence. As Orleanna starts to take notice of the intense negativity from the natives and the life-threatening activity that occurs in simple daily life, she feels a sense of discontentment towards her husband’s sense of judgment that she has never felt before. She does her best to mask this, as she has done with every other emotion since she married Nathan, but as things become grittier and grittier, that becomes increasingly impossible.
Throughout the year, the family would face devastation, fallout and, for some, even death. How much will it take for Orleanna to finally rise above her husband? What will Nathan do to keep order and strict religion in his family? Everything unfolds in “The Poisonwood Bible.”
What the Press Would Say:
Fernando Meirelles’ adaptation of Barbara Kingsolver’s bestselling novel The Poisonwood Bible is, and I say this with no exaggeration whatsoever, the most tragic film I have ever seen. But it’s also one of the most uplifting. And most captivating. And most beautiful. And most disturbing. It is, flat out, one of the best films I have seen this decade.
But what, exactly, can I attribute the film’s triumph to? Numerous things, really. First of all, the absolutely flawless performances from everyone in the ensemble cast. Rising star Chiwetel Ejiofor delivers a moving, entirely convincing performance as the Price girls’ tutor, and their only contact with the outside world, and “Atonement” teen Saoirse Ronan brings an emotional, very impressive performance to the table—as do her siblings, portrayed by Kristen Stewart and Chloe Moretz. But still, the real amazement on the acting front is the performances by the two leads, Toni Collette and Russell Crowe. Typically, I would talk about the lesser performance first and the superior one second, but it’s simply impossible to pick a favorite between the two. So instead, I will talk about them as a whole. Collette and Crowe put an incredible amount of trust in one another in their acting. In the beginning of the film, both of them have their values and beliefs completely set in stone. However, as the movie progresses, Collette’s character, Orleanna, gradually begins to question her husband as the mission grows worse and worse. Crowe, on the other hand, refuses to change. When these two ideals clash, as they do especially towards the end of the film, sparks fly off the screen. It is simply irrational to suppose that a viewer won’t be moved in the scene where Collette discusses her strife about her daughters’ loss of innocence, while Crowe remains stern and unsympathetic. I can confidently say that these are genuinely sublime performances, and that these two will be major threats come Oscar season.
As we know, good performances simply do not occur without solid direction, so we know for a fact that Fernando Meirelles did this film justice. The quality of his direction, however, goes well beyond creating great performances. Take, for instance, the now famous scene involving flesh-eating ants (yes, you know which one I’m talking about). The scene begins in a tight shot with music so soft you can barely hear it serenading in the background, and by the conclusion of the scene, we view an extremely wide shot with a thunderous overture. And then, in the very next scene, we view a chillingly loveless confrontation between the daughters and their mother (another one of Collette’s best moments). About half of the film’s scenes are sweeping and epic, while the other half are intimate and emotional, and Meirelles knows exactly what he’s doing for each style.
A less-than-skilled screenwriter may take Barbara Kingsolver’s amazing novel and use it as an excuse to be, for lack of a better word, lazy, when writing the adaptation. Fortunately, this was not the case for Eric Roth when he was writing “The Poisonwood Bible.” No, instead, he took advantage of the book’s incredibly complex characters and multi-dimensional events. Much to his credit, none of the dialogue is copied directly from the novel, however it feels so realistic, one feels it must be. Roth treated the screenplay very seriously and did something inarguably powerful with it.
“The Poisonwood Bible” is more than the best film of the year; it’s an emotional and powerful event. On every front, from acting, to writing, to direction, to general quality, “The Poisonwood Bible” is a complete and utter masterpiece.
FYC:
Best Picture
Best Director (Fernando Meirelles)
Best Actor (Russell Crowe)
Best Actress (Toni Collette)
Best Adapted Screenplay
Pride of Baghdad
Author(s): Alfredo (NY)
Pride of Baghdad
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Story Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Screenplay Written by Hayao Miyazaki & Brian K. Vaughan
Produced by John Lasseter
Based on the Graphic Novel by Brian K. Vaughan (Writing) & Niko Henrichon (Art)
Cinematography by Atsushi Okui
Art Direction by Yoji Takeshige
English Voice Casting by Joshua Rodriguez
Film Edited by Takeshi Seyama
Original Score Joe Hisaishi
Original Song "Price of Freedom" by Annie Lennox
CAST:
Laurence Fishburne - (voice) ...Zill
Alfre Woodard - (voice) ...Safa
Sanaa Lathan - (voice) ...Noor
Jaden Smith - (voice) ...Ali
Michael Clarke Duncan - (voice) ...Fajer
Omar Sharif - (voice) ...Sanji
John Malkovich - (voice) ...Malakai
Tagline: "In war, humans are not the only casualties."
Synopsis: In the spring of 2003, a pride of lions escaped from the Baghdad Zoo during an American bombing raid...
Zill: The ferocious leader of the pride. Having lived most of his life in captivity, Zill has little to no recollection of life beyond the walls of the Baghdad zoo.
Noor: A young lioness, who is tired of being held in captivity and wishes to go back to wild. Before the air raid she tries to conspire with the other animals in the zoo to break free.
Safa: An old lioness, who is blind in one eye. She has lived much of her later years of life in captivity and doesn’t care to go back into the wild because she remembers all too well the dangerous outside of the zoo.
Ali: The youngest member of the pride. Ali is Noor's cub. He is extremely energitic and curious about life.
Their zoo has been bombed and they are left to fend for themselves. The keepers of the zoo had fed them and then abandoned them to their fate. The sky is full of fighter jets and the city streets look empty. We see Baghdad through the eyes of the lions who are rummaging around the war torn city of Baghdad. We see them duck and dodge artillery fire and bombs as they try to make safe passage through the city. They run across civilian casualties as well as the casualties of other animals caught in the crossfire.
Lost and confused, hungry but finally free, the four lions roamed the decimated streets of Baghdad in a desperate struggle for their lives.
What the Press Would Say:
Based on actual events that occurred in 2003, this intelligent, thought-provoking, and ultimately heartbreaking tale directed by Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke) and written by graphic novelist Brian K. Vaughan introduces us to the titular pride of four lions who escape a Baghdad zoo during an American bombing and embark on a thrilling and dangerous journey through the war-torn city. Along the way, they are forced to address the harsh reality of being free in a world that has gone completely awry. Thus giving us one of the most adult animated films ever made and best film about the war in Iraq, animated or otherwise. Told entirely from the viewpoint of the animals, who speak as people do, we’re offered a fascinating glimpse into the everyday life and culture of the great beasts. Miyazaki develops the pride of lions as a complex and wonderfully dysfunctional family. The events of the story take place in the better part of one day, creating an overall adrenaline rush that is well suited to a wartime drama, and Miyazaki’s tight plotting and straightforward storytelling keeps everything moving along smoothly and efficiently.
Like the thoughtful writer that he is, Vaughan is never too obvious or heavy-handed, despite his use of such a potent and politically-charged narrative setting. Through the lions’ eyes, we’re offered a sober and effectively naïve outsider’s perspective on the chaos. Also, Vaughan’s approach to the concept of death is much more realistic than is common in mainstream films, animated or live action. There is no cheap, theatrical melodrama or long, pseudo-Shakespearian deathbed monologues here, leaving us with no easy comforts and little else but the quick, unforgiving finality. Miyazaki’s lush, affecting, and obviously well-researched artwork, with its rich, fiery-toned coloring, creates an environment that truly captures the majestic atmosphere of the desert, as well as the quite-shocking violence that occurs in both the animal world and our own. His depictions of the animals are fantastic, making them into completely believable characters. Miyazaki demonstrates a vast range of emotion and expression and endows each animal with their own distinct visual presence. The beautiful spread of the lions’ emergence from the zoo to finally get a view of the wide open landscape is as awe-inspiring as their exploration of what looks like one of Saddam’s abandoned palaces is spooky.
One of the major themes that seems to appear throughout the film is the idea of freedom, and the meaning and cost of it. Other analogies involving rape, the gray morality of violence, and the many dilemmas present in our current political climate can be made as well. The one theme that really sticks out, though, is that of life and family. The loving interactions between the lions are so rich with character that you forget about the usual notions regarding the Iraq conflict that have been hammered into our collective, media saturated consciousness. This allows the film to almost become a fun, family adventure story, albeit one where Mom talks with about sending a horse’s intestines spilling onto the sand (they’re still lions, after all). That sort of innocence is fleeting, however, and we’re brought crashing back when humans come into the dialogue at story’s end, which leaves quite a bitter taste on the moviegoer's proverbial palette in regards to the unquestionably horrible nature of war, violence, and the cultural misunderstanding that is at the heart of such conflicts. As food for thought goes, the moviegoer is left with quite a meal. Miyazaki and Vaughan have created a unique window into the nature of life during wartime, shedding light on this struggle as only an animated film can.
For Your Consideration
Best Picture
Best Animated Feature
Best Director, Hayao Miyazaki
Best Adapted Screenplay, Brian K. Vaughan
Pride of Baghdad
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Story Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Screenplay Written by Hayao Miyazaki & Brian K. Vaughan
Produced by John Lasseter
Based on the Graphic Novel by Brian K. Vaughan (Writing) & Niko Henrichon (Art)
Cinematography by Atsushi Okui
Art Direction by Yoji Takeshige
English Voice Casting by Joshua Rodriguez
Film Edited by Takeshi Seyama
Original Score Joe Hisaishi
Original Song "Price of Freedom" by Annie Lennox
CAST:
Laurence Fishburne - (voice) ...Zill
Alfre Woodard - (voice) ...Safa
Sanaa Lathan - (voice) ...Noor
Jaden Smith - (voice) ...Ali
Michael Clarke Duncan - (voice) ...Fajer
Omar Sharif - (voice) ...Sanji
John Malkovich - (voice) ...Malakai
Tagline: "In war, humans are not the only casualties."
Synopsis: In the spring of 2003, a pride of lions escaped from the Baghdad Zoo during an American bombing raid...
Zill: The ferocious leader of the pride. Having lived most of his life in captivity, Zill has little to no recollection of life beyond the walls of the Baghdad zoo.
Noor: A young lioness, who is tired of being held in captivity and wishes to go back to wild. Before the air raid she tries to conspire with the other animals in the zoo to break free.
Safa: An old lioness, who is blind in one eye. She has lived much of her later years of life in captivity and doesn’t care to go back into the wild because she remembers all too well the dangerous outside of the zoo.
Ali: The youngest member of the pride. Ali is Noor's cub. He is extremely energitic and curious about life.
Their zoo has been bombed and they are left to fend for themselves. The keepers of the zoo had fed them and then abandoned them to their fate. The sky is full of fighter jets and the city streets look empty. We see Baghdad through the eyes of the lions who are rummaging around the war torn city of Baghdad. We see them duck and dodge artillery fire and bombs as they try to make safe passage through the city. They run across civilian casualties as well as the casualties of other animals caught in the crossfire.
Lost and confused, hungry but finally free, the four lions roamed the decimated streets of Baghdad in a desperate struggle for their lives.
What the Press Would Say:
Based on actual events that occurred in 2003, this intelligent, thought-provoking, and ultimately heartbreaking tale directed by Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke) and written by graphic novelist Brian K. Vaughan introduces us to the titular pride of four lions who escape a Baghdad zoo during an American bombing and embark on a thrilling and dangerous journey through the war-torn city. Along the way, they are forced to address the harsh reality of being free in a world that has gone completely awry. Thus giving us one of the most adult animated films ever made and best film about the war in Iraq, animated or otherwise. Told entirely from the viewpoint of the animals, who speak as people do, we’re offered a fascinating glimpse into the everyday life and culture of the great beasts. Miyazaki develops the pride of lions as a complex and wonderfully dysfunctional family. The events of the story take place in the better part of one day, creating an overall adrenaline rush that is well suited to a wartime drama, and Miyazaki’s tight plotting and straightforward storytelling keeps everything moving along smoothly and efficiently.
Like the thoughtful writer that he is, Vaughan is never too obvious or heavy-handed, despite his use of such a potent and politically-charged narrative setting. Through the lions’ eyes, we’re offered a sober and effectively naïve outsider’s perspective on the chaos. Also, Vaughan’s approach to the concept of death is much more realistic than is common in mainstream films, animated or live action. There is no cheap, theatrical melodrama or long, pseudo-Shakespearian deathbed monologues here, leaving us with no easy comforts and little else but the quick, unforgiving finality. Miyazaki’s lush, affecting, and obviously well-researched artwork, with its rich, fiery-toned coloring, creates an environment that truly captures the majestic atmosphere of the desert, as well as the quite-shocking violence that occurs in both the animal world and our own. His depictions of the animals are fantastic, making them into completely believable characters. Miyazaki demonstrates a vast range of emotion and expression and endows each animal with their own distinct visual presence. The beautiful spread of the lions’ emergence from the zoo to finally get a view of the wide open landscape is as awe-inspiring as their exploration of what looks like one of Saddam’s abandoned palaces is spooky.
One of the major themes that seems to appear throughout the film is the idea of freedom, and the meaning and cost of it. Other analogies involving rape, the gray morality of violence, and the many dilemmas present in our current political climate can be made as well. The one theme that really sticks out, though, is that of life and family. The loving interactions between the lions are so rich with character that you forget about the usual notions regarding the Iraq conflict that have been hammered into our collective, media saturated consciousness. This allows the film to almost become a fun, family adventure story, albeit one where Mom talks with about sending a horse’s intestines spilling onto the sand (they’re still lions, after all). That sort of innocence is fleeting, however, and we’re brought crashing back when humans come into the dialogue at story’s end, which leaves quite a bitter taste on the moviegoer's proverbial palette in regards to the unquestionably horrible nature of war, violence, and the cultural misunderstanding that is at the heart of such conflicts. As food for thought goes, the moviegoer is left with quite a meal. Miyazaki and Vaughan have created a unique window into the nature of life during wartime, shedding light on this struggle as only an animated film can.
For Your Consideration
Best Picture
Best Animated Feature
Best Director, Hayao Miyazaki
Best Adapted Screenplay, Brian K. Vaughan
Prometheus
Author(s): Chris Moffitt (NC)
Prometheus
Directed by Terrence Mallick
Produced by Sarah Green and Terrence Mallick
Written by Terrence Mallick
Music by Hanz Zimmer
Edited by Leslie Jones, Saar Klein and Billy Weber
Cinematography by John Toll
Principal Cast:
Prometheus- Viggo Mortensen
Zeus- Martin Sheen
Hercules- Kevin McKidd
Epimetheus- Brendan Fraser
Pandora- Scarlett Johansson
Deucalion- Tom Welling
Hephaestus- Stellen Skarsgard
Aphrodite- Rachel McAdams
Hermes- Lukas Haas
Tagline: “The story of the Titan who gave birth to man.”
Synopsis: Prometheus stares into the open air. He rattles the chains around his arms knowing that he is still bound to a crag of the Caucasus Mountains. He awaits his daily attack from the unrelenting eagle heading to the rock. The eagle approaches Prometheus when the bird is pierced with an arrow and falls from the sky. Prometheus then looks to his right and notices a large man climbing up the side of the mountain. The man reaches where Prometheus is chained and asks if he is hurt. The man then introduces himself as the great hero Hercules, son of Zeus. Prometheus introduces himself and Hercules is immediately taken aback. He had heard the stories of Prometheus, the great Titan but could not believe that it was him. Hercules asked Prometheus how he ended up in these chains. After a moment of hesitation, Prometheus began to tell his tale.
Prometheus’ story began with Zeus’ victory in the war of Mount Olympus. The Earth had been badly damaged during the war. All living things had been destroyed and the world needed to be repopulated. Zeus decided that he would reward Prometheus and his brother, Epimetheus for their loyalty during the war by allowing them to accomplish this task. The two were given clay and box full of strengths and abilities that were to be given to the newly created animals. Epimetheus had no foresight and was very foolish. He began to hand out these abilities quickly to the animals he created while Prometheus carefully molded the humans. Eventually, Prometheus was satisfied that the human was perfectly created in the image of himself but alas Epimetheus had used up all the abilities and strengths leaving humans bare and simple.
With no strengths or advantages left to give to his new creations, Prometheus vowed to do something to help his beautiful creations. Prometheus went to Zeus and pleaded with him to give life-bearing fire to the humans. However, Zeus refused his request and reminded Prometheus of the hierarchy that exists on Mount Olympus. He exerted his power and authority and refused to allow the inferior humans to be equal to gods.
Prometheus returned to the Earth where his brother and his son Deucalion were living among the humans. Many were dying from cold and hunger everyday. Deucalion pleaded to his father to do something in order to help the humans. Without fire most of the humans would die in a matter of days. Prometheus then made the conscious decision to steal fire from Mount Olympus and give it to the humans no matter what the consequence would be for him. He returned to the mountain and took the fire from the Olympians’ throne room and returned to Earth. The humans were overjoyed with happiness and immediately the fire was spread throughout the cities. People’s homes were lit and warmed and food was cooked. The people praised Prometheus as their savior but Prometheus was not basking in his own glory for he knew that the wrath of Zeus would soon be upon him.
He was right. When Zeus looked down on the humans and saw that the people had fire he was furious. He immediately sent for Prometheus and captured his former ally. Before his capture, Prometheus said his heartfelt goodbyes to his friends and family and warned them to take no gifts from the gods. Zeus then chained Prometheus to the Caucasus Mountains and informed him that everyday an eagle would his liver and then it would grow back at the end of the day to allow for continued punishment.
Yet, Zeus also wanted to punish the humans and came up with a very creative idea. He had his children Hephaestus and Aphrodite create a beautiful woman with looks that no man could deny. The woman created was named Pandora and was sent to Earth in a flash of lightning. Epimetheus saw the woman and was immediately intrigued by her. He knew that she was a gift from Zeus and was cautious knowing of his current anger however his attraction for her made him foolish. He immediately married the seductive and slow-witted woman and the two seemed to be extremely happy. As a wedding gift, Zeus sent to Earth a beautiful box made of gold and gave it to Pandora. She was told by Hermes, the messenger who gave her the box, that it was never to be opened for its contents needed to be remained sealed. After their wedding, the box began to consume the curious Pandora as she desperately wanted to open it. After stopping herself multiple times she eventually made the decision that the box needed to be opened. She opened it and out sprang a horde of miseries: Greed, Vanity, Slander, Envy and many others. She slammed the lid back on the box before Hope could escape thus saving it from being destroyed by the other evils but it was too late. The evils had begun to bite the humans and chaos had spread. Prometheus could only watch from afar as his creations began to destroy each other.
Prometheus then returns to his present day situation and tells Hercules that it is his fault that mankind has suffered and that he deserves his punishment. However, Hercules breaks the chains around Prometheus’ arms and tells Prometheus that he sees him not as a man who caused mankind’s suffering but as a man who saved mankind. Prometheus then stands on his own two feet as a free man.
What the Critics Would Say:
Terrence Mallick proves once again that he is one of the greatest directors to ever pick up a camera as he turns the Greek myths of the titan Prometheus into an epic and moving story of a man devoted to his people. Viggo Mortensen carries this film. As Prometheus, Mortensen is a brilliant anti-hero, a character that is intelligent and cunning yet also caring. In each of his scenes, the audience truly understands his devotion and love for mankind. Martin Sheen is fantastic as Zeus, chewing scenery as the fiery and domineering king of the gods. Also, Brendan Fraser delivers the performance of his career as the foolish but ultimately likeable brother of Prometheus. His character is so likeable that you almost feel sorry when his fate is sealed with the other humans. Scarlett Johansson is also brilliant as the beautiful and curious Pandora. Kevin McKidd, Stellan Skaarsgard, Rachel McAdams, Tom Welling and Lukas Haas all do well in their small but important parts in the film.
Filmed in Greece, the film is also a feast for the eyes with breathtaking scenes of the Greek mountains and countryside. However, Mallick, as with all of his films, combines these amazing visuals with a brilliant story. Mallick really fleshes out the characters from the classic myths and creates a very modern yet philosophical screenplay. The film transports the audience to Ancient Greece thanks to brilliant costumes, make-up, and art direction. Prometheus is an amazing film that succeeds on all levels. It will easily be a huge favorite come Oscar season.
Best Picture
Best Director- Terrence Mallick
Best Actor- Viggo Mortensen
Best Supporting Actor- Brendan Fraser
Best Supporting Actor- Martin Sheen
Best Original Screenplay- Terrence Mallick
Prometheus
Directed by Terrence Mallick
Produced by Sarah Green and Terrence Mallick
Written by Terrence Mallick
Music by Hanz Zimmer
Edited by Leslie Jones, Saar Klein and Billy Weber
Cinematography by John Toll
Principal Cast:
Prometheus- Viggo Mortensen
Zeus- Martin Sheen
Hercules- Kevin McKidd
Epimetheus- Brendan Fraser
Pandora- Scarlett Johansson
Deucalion- Tom Welling
Hephaestus- Stellen Skarsgard
Aphrodite- Rachel McAdams
Hermes- Lukas Haas
Tagline: “The story of the Titan who gave birth to man.”
Synopsis: Prometheus stares into the open air. He rattles the chains around his arms knowing that he is still bound to a crag of the Caucasus Mountains. He awaits his daily attack from the unrelenting eagle heading to the rock. The eagle approaches Prometheus when the bird is pierced with an arrow and falls from the sky. Prometheus then looks to his right and notices a large man climbing up the side of the mountain. The man reaches where Prometheus is chained and asks if he is hurt. The man then introduces himself as the great hero Hercules, son of Zeus. Prometheus introduces himself and Hercules is immediately taken aback. He had heard the stories of Prometheus, the great Titan but could not believe that it was him. Hercules asked Prometheus how he ended up in these chains. After a moment of hesitation, Prometheus began to tell his tale.
Prometheus’ story began with Zeus’ victory in the war of Mount Olympus. The Earth had been badly damaged during the war. All living things had been destroyed and the world needed to be repopulated. Zeus decided that he would reward Prometheus and his brother, Epimetheus for their loyalty during the war by allowing them to accomplish this task. The two were given clay and box full of strengths and abilities that were to be given to the newly created animals. Epimetheus had no foresight and was very foolish. He began to hand out these abilities quickly to the animals he created while Prometheus carefully molded the humans. Eventually, Prometheus was satisfied that the human was perfectly created in the image of himself but alas Epimetheus had used up all the abilities and strengths leaving humans bare and simple.
With no strengths or advantages left to give to his new creations, Prometheus vowed to do something to help his beautiful creations. Prometheus went to Zeus and pleaded with him to give life-bearing fire to the humans. However, Zeus refused his request and reminded Prometheus of the hierarchy that exists on Mount Olympus. He exerted his power and authority and refused to allow the inferior humans to be equal to gods.
Prometheus returned to the Earth where his brother and his son Deucalion were living among the humans. Many were dying from cold and hunger everyday. Deucalion pleaded to his father to do something in order to help the humans. Without fire most of the humans would die in a matter of days. Prometheus then made the conscious decision to steal fire from Mount Olympus and give it to the humans no matter what the consequence would be for him. He returned to the mountain and took the fire from the Olympians’ throne room and returned to Earth. The humans were overjoyed with happiness and immediately the fire was spread throughout the cities. People’s homes were lit and warmed and food was cooked. The people praised Prometheus as their savior but Prometheus was not basking in his own glory for he knew that the wrath of Zeus would soon be upon him.
He was right. When Zeus looked down on the humans and saw that the people had fire he was furious. He immediately sent for Prometheus and captured his former ally. Before his capture, Prometheus said his heartfelt goodbyes to his friends and family and warned them to take no gifts from the gods. Zeus then chained Prometheus to the Caucasus Mountains and informed him that everyday an eagle would his liver and then it would grow back at the end of the day to allow for continued punishment.
Yet, Zeus also wanted to punish the humans and came up with a very creative idea. He had his children Hephaestus and Aphrodite create a beautiful woman with looks that no man could deny. The woman created was named Pandora and was sent to Earth in a flash of lightning. Epimetheus saw the woman and was immediately intrigued by her. He knew that she was a gift from Zeus and was cautious knowing of his current anger however his attraction for her made him foolish. He immediately married the seductive and slow-witted woman and the two seemed to be extremely happy. As a wedding gift, Zeus sent to Earth a beautiful box made of gold and gave it to Pandora. She was told by Hermes, the messenger who gave her the box, that it was never to be opened for its contents needed to be remained sealed. After their wedding, the box began to consume the curious Pandora as she desperately wanted to open it. After stopping herself multiple times she eventually made the decision that the box needed to be opened. She opened it and out sprang a horde of miseries: Greed, Vanity, Slander, Envy and many others. She slammed the lid back on the box before Hope could escape thus saving it from being destroyed by the other evils but it was too late. The evils had begun to bite the humans and chaos had spread. Prometheus could only watch from afar as his creations began to destroy each other.
Prometheus then returns to his present day situation and tells Hercules that it is his fault that mankind has suffered and that he deserves his punishment. However, Hercules breaks the chains around Prometheus’ arms and tells Prometheus that he sees him not as a man who caused mankind’s suffering but as a man who saved mankind. Prometheus then stands on his own two feet as a free man.
What the Critics Would Say:
Terrence Mallick proves once again that he is one of the greatest directors to ever pick up a camera as he turns the Greek myths of the titan Prometheus into an epic and moving story of a man devoted to his people. Viggo Mortensen carries this film. As Prometheus, Mortensen is a brilliant anti-hero, a character that is intelligent and cunning yet also caring. In each of his scenes, the audience truly understands his devotion and love for mankind. Martin Sheen is fantastic as Zeus, chewing scenery as the fiery and domineering king of the gods. Also, Brendan Fraser delivers the performance of his career as the foolish but ultimately likeable brother of Prometheus. His character is so likeable that you almost feel sorry when his fate is sealed with the other humans. Scarlett Johansson is also brilliant as the beautiful and curious Pandora. Kevin McKidd, Stellan Skaarsgard, Rachel McAdams, Tom Welling and Lukas Haas all do well in their small but important parts in the film.
Filmed in Greece, the film is also a feast for the eyes with breathtaking scenes of the Greek mountains and countryside. However, Mallick, as with all of his films, combines these amazing visuals with a brilliant story. Mallick really fleshes out the characters from the classic myths and creates a very modern yet philosophical screenplay. The film transports the audience to Ancient Greece thanks to brilliant costumes, make-up, and art direction. Prometheus is an amazing film that succeeds on all levels. It will easily be a huge favorite come Oscar season.
Best Picture
Best Director- Terrence Mallick
Best Actor- Viggo Mortensen
Best Supporting Actor- Brendan Fraser
Best Supporting Actor- Martin Sheen
Best Original Screenplay- Terrence Mallick
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)